Phillip Island duo chasing world championship titles

TWO local equestrian stars are bound for France this August to represent Australia on the world stage, but they need the community’s help to get there.

Phillip Island’s Gisele and Gabe Smith have both been selected to compete at the 2026 World Mounted Games Team Championships. Gabe, a professional horse trainer, and Gisele, still a local secondary college student, are accomplished equestrians who have both held Australian championships in their respective Mounted Games age groups.

Gabe and Gisele have been competing in the Mounted Games for seven years.

“I started when I was 13,” said Gabe.

In 2024, the brother and sister duo aged 18 and 14 at the time, travelled to Europe to compete in the Mounted Games World Championships in France supported by community fundraising events.

The 2026 World Mounted Games Team Championship will take place from August 10 to August 16, 2026, at the Parc Équestre Fédéral in Lamotte-Beuvron, France. Organised by the Fédération Française d'Equitation and the International Mounted Games Association (IMGA), the week-long equestrian event features the world’s top riders competing for the world team title.

The World Mounted Games attracts teams from 13 countries including England, U.S.A., France, Mexico, New Zealand, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Canada.

In 2023 Gabe won the U18 World Teams event at Werribee Park. For Gisele, a former Under-16 National Champion, joining the U18 national team this year as a reserve is the culmination of years of relentless dedication.

For both riders, it is a chance to test their skills in one of the most high-octane disciplines in the sporting world. Mounted Games is not your average equestrian event.

The sport is a series of short, fast-paced relay races where riders perform complex tasks at a full gallop. Competitors vault on and off moving horses, weave through poles at breakneck speeds, and drop items into small buckets with absolute precision. It demands an extraordinary level of athletic ability, flawless hand-eye coordination, and an unspoken bond between the rider and their horse.

"People think equestrian sports are slow, but Mounted Games is pure adrenaline," Gabe explained. "You move at maximum speed, and one tiny miscalculation can cost the team the race. It requires total focus."

For Gisele balancing elite training with her studies at Newhaven College is a constant test of time management. "It is exhausting, but wearing the green and gold makes every early morning worth it," Gisele said. "Representing your country is the ultimate dream, and having my brother beside me makes it even more special."

Gabe and Giselle will both compete in France without their horses. Blu will remain at home on Phillip Island while Gabe prepares to leave next week to train on Ambre. Giselle will also be forced to leave her horse behind to train on a provided mount.

Despite their elite skill levels, the path to France is paved with financial hurdles. Unlike mainstream sports, equestrian athletes in niche disciplines must self-fund their travel, accommodation, and horse lease fees overseas.

To get the Smith siblings to Lamotte-Beuvron, local supporters have launched a major community fundraising drive. The Phillip Island and Bass Coast communities have a proud history of backing their local heroes and the Smiths hope for another wave of regional generosity through trivia nights and sausage sizzles.

"We are incredibly grateful for the support we've received from local businesses and Cowes in the past," Gabe said. "To get back to France and chase a world title, we need that community spirit behind us once again. Every little bit helps."

With the championship just weeks away, the clock is ticking. As Gabe and Giselle fine-tune their skills and push their physical limits, the siblings remain focused on the ultimate prize of bringing a world championship trophy back home to Phillip Island.