SARAH Small,17 of Redland Bay, won the 2012 Sydney Royal Easter Show RAS Australian Stockhorse Society National judging final.Photo by Chris McCormack
SARAH Small,17 of Redland Bay, winner of the 2012 Sydney Royal Easter Show RAS Australian Stock Horse Society National Judging Final.Photo by Chris McCormack
SHE's the judge picked by judges and Sarah Small, 17, of Redland Bay, is now the national junior Australian Stockhorse award champion.
The award, gained at the Royal Easter show in Sydney, follows competition in four Queensland events involving youth judging stockhorses.
Sarah won three and came second in one of these events and was therefore nominated to represent Queensland at national level.
She took out the award against competitors in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia.
The event involves judging four horses. Sarah's marking and reasons for it are then judged.
Mother Jane Fletcher said she was particularly proud of Sarah's achievements given that most was self taught.
"I think it's spectacular. She's achieved this and done it all herself," Jane said.
Not a rider herself, Jane said she introduced Sarah and her sister Emily to horses as children, starting them with the local pony club. Now the family owns five horses, three of which are stockhorses.
Sarah said she started competing at the age of 12 and it was after attending a camp with the Mount Warren Park Pony Club that she discovered stockhorses, purchasing her first soon afterwards.
"I want to get a judges' certificate and this is a good way to learn," she said.
Now in Year 12 at Chisholm College, her daily routine involves feeding the horses and other animals before school, then returning home to ride in the afternoon. Her favourite horse is a stockhorse named Grommit.
"I just enjoy it," she said.
Sarah said her ambition was to work with horses, potentially doing a course at Gatton.