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Meet Rising Star... Tayla Hill

Published on Thursday, September 22, 2011 in Young Riders
Tayla competing on Sylvia Vale Platoon, in the Time Trial, at the 2011 Australian Stock Horse World Show
Tayla and Sylvia Vale Platoon working out at Ekka
Tayla and Sylvia Vale Platoon at Ekka
Tayla being awarded the Senior Youth Sportsmanship Award at the ASHS Qld Championship Show

 I first watched Tayla Hill at Brisbane Show, performing very competently in the Horse Breeds Expo, on Australian Stock Horse Sylvia Vale Platoon and was  impressed with her riding ability, not to mention the poise with which she spoke on the head-set microphone, whilst explaining the difference between roll backs and haunch turns! 

At the Australian Stock Horse Championship State Show (Woodford, Qld), I watched Tayla compete and was again impressed by her performance and mature attitude to showing.  At the show, Tayla was  awarded the Senior Youth Sportsmanship Award, as chosen by the judges, which happened to be sponsored by Horsezone.  

After meeting Tayla and her mum Kim at Woodford, I decided it was time to find out more about this accomplished, but very grounded young rider!

 

Tayla, how did you first become involved with horses?

I grew up on the gold coast with water and boats, but my parents had been pretty heavily involved with horses in the past, by the time I was seven, all I wanted was a pony and I just begged and begged until mum and dad finally caved, haha. So I got a little crazy chestnut pony called Misty and started pony club. Later on Dad got back into horses and we all moved to our property (Lockyer Waters, Qld) and the collection of horses kind of just grew from there!

 

What horse sports do you compete in?

I compete my Australian Stock Horses in ASH Shows and Challenges, as well as Interschool Competitions on my spare weekends.

 

Do you have a favourite horse?

My favourite horse would have to be Sheedys Indiana. She's a little 14.2 bay mare. She was my first Australian Stock Horse and the reason I’m competing in them now. She isn’t the best show type, but she is very, very special and has the most beautiful personality. I still compete her every now and again, this year I took her to the ASH World Championships Show, and being completely out of work, she still managed a fourth in the Working Mare Class.  She also did really well in the sporting classes, with a first, third and fourth - they were a lot of fun - and I was really proud of her.

 

What are your favourite events and why?

I really enjoy the Australian Stock Horse Challenge events. This is a series of events, which could include a handler class, hack, working class and sometimes a time trial or a campdraft. There are individual class prizes and then an overall prize. I like that they test different skills.

 

What achievement, so far, are you most proud of?

My proudest achievement would be my win at the recent Australian Stock Horse World Championships Show (held at AELEC in May 2011). I won the Working Section of the Youth Challenge on Kim Stark’s Sylvia Vale Platoon, against an amazing group of riders. I was very proud of that. I’m also very proud that I had the opportunity to ride in the Horse Breeds Expo at Ekka. I had a fantastic time, loved talking to non-horsey people who were interested and promoting the Australian Stock Horse. I met a lot of people and got some really nice comments about my horse and me from complete strangers. It was really lovely.

 

Is there a horse sport you'd love to try?

I would really love to try Eventing. Mum and Dad aren’t so keen though...

 

What advice can you give to other young riders who want to succeed?

Just keep trying and keep going. Don’t try and gauge how good you are by the prizes you receive... and always keep doing your own thing no matter the place. What one judge may think is first place material another may hate... and don't wear light coloured moleskins or Joddies when doing a horses' make-up - it never ends well!!

 

Who is your role model/inspiration?

I’m not really a dressage sort of a person, but it’s hard not to be inspired my Edward Gal and what he did with Moorlands Totilas..

 

What are your plans for the future?

My short term goals are to just continue improving and to constantly be bettering my game. I recently got back into the English disciplines, I'd love to continue with this and see how I go. But the ASH events will always be my main priority and as long as I'm improving, I’m happy!

 

How do you spend your spare time?

Between horses, School and assignments, there isn’t a whole lot of spare time left, but when there is I love just hanging out with my friends, I also really love Scuba Diving... and sleeping!!

 

Where would you like to be in 10 years?

Olympics?? Haha.  I'd love to still be with my horses, always improving. I’m still not 100% on what I’ll be doing when I leave school. Being at boarding school, I don’t have the opportunity to ride during the week, but I’m thinking that I would go to uni locally so I can ride every day and hopefully see just what I can achieve when I’m riding regularly. After that I really don’t have a clue and I’ll have to just wait and see where life takes me!!

 

Thanks so much for your time, Tayla, and there is not doubt we will be seeing a lot more of you and your wonderful Australian Stock Horses in the future!

 

Story: Jo Johnson/Horsezone

Quick Links

 

Watch video of Tayla performing at the Ekka Horse Breeds Expo

 


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