Kerikeri's Samantha Felton has high hopes for her bay gelding Ricker Ridge Pico Boo and believes he may even help her find that elusive win.
The 19-year-old Waikato University first-year management and psychology student said she had been hooked on eventing since she won her first competition.
"I've been riding for seven
years now. I had another horse that progressed through all the levels and taught me a great deal before this one.
"I got him three years ago when he was three and he's now six," she said.
The pair spent the last season in the pre-novice class, contesting that class at the Eventing Northland Spring Horse Trials at the weekend.
She said: "Because he is only six and quite a young horse, I kept him in the training class for a while longer than he should have been in there. At the end of this season, I'm hoping to take him up a step into the novice class. He is a good horse and I want to take him through to advanced which will take about three or four years to properly establish him up there."
Eventing Northland's annual trials fell during study leave for Felton, who has been juggling riding horses with her studies this year.
"I have another horse too [Henton After Dark] and I've been grazing them both down in Hamilton. It's been hard finding that balance," she said.
Felton's biggest success in her short career has been winning the Runstar Junior at the 2008 Richfields Internationals Horse Trials. She won a 10-day scholarship with Auckland-based rider Jonathan Paget.
"He just came seventh in the individual eventing at the World Equestrian Games which is quite amazing seeing as 80 of the best riders were competing there."
Paget has acted like a mentor to Felton, who does not have a regular coach.
"Growing up in Northland made things difficult as it is hard to find established coaches in the area. Jonathan has been really supportive of me." Felton was lucky enough to travel to Kentucky to watch the World Equestrian Games recently.
"I won a trip there. You had to place in the top three of your class at the Woodhill Sands Trials in May, which I did and they pulled my name out of the draw."
Being in America's horse industry capital, watching the world's best riders had been inspiring for Felton, she said.
Her next mission is the 2010 Richfields International Horse Trial in Waikato at the end of November where she is chasing a top-four placing in the Young Horse division.
