Young Olivia is riding high

NEWHAVEN College student Olivia Curtain and three team members won the Primary Australian Interschool Championship in Sydney representing Team Victoria.

The Australian Interschool Championships were held at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre, which was purpose built for the 2000 Sydney Olympics on the last week of September. 

The Championships are a massive event with the best in Australia competing. 

Gaining a team place is a significant achievement; coming home with a rosette or championship is fantastic.  

Olivia, 11, joined 106 fellow Victoria riders competing in varying disciplines from Showjumping, Dressage, Eventing, Combined Training and Show Horse. 

There were teams represented from every State of Australia with over 450 competitors on site for the five days. 

The indoor purpose-built stadium held the opening and closing ceremonies along with the Showjumping, which ran for three days over for the different age groups. 

Olivia and her 14.2 hand Welsh Cob, Indi’s Mr Zorba Jones started the first two days with some great riding and very fast times, but unfortunately a soft rail both days saw Olivia finish in fifth spot both days. 

This left the last day which was a one round for speed. 

Olivia was the fourth rider out, determined to show her best after the first two days.

She and Mr Jones didn’t disappoint with a super-fast time clinching the win on the last day. 

This promoted Olivia to third overall only a few points behind second and a few more from first place. 

Olivia’s fellow Victorian Teammates in the primary division also had great results, which saw the top four riders for each state combine scores for the overall team’s championship event, which they were crowned Champions for the Primary Division. 

The Victorian Team won Primary Jumping Team, Secondary Jumping Team, Primary Combined Training, and runner-up in Secondary Combined Training, Eventing, Show Horse and Dressage. 
Olivia is now looking forward to the Australian Championships in November. 

The final round of the Interschool Showjumping is in December, which she is currently in second place by one point and then the 2023 series and qualifying for the 2023 Australian Interschool’s Championship’s held at Werribee in September 2023, where she hopes to qualify both ponies in the Secondary age group. 

Olivia would like to thank her coaches Emily hill from Hillview Equestrian Centre and Phil Lever from Lever Equestrian as well as her teammates, Newhaven College, mum and dad and her sponsor Melbourne Brick for all their support.