Australia conquered - now sights set on America

Ranfurly teen Amanda Voice relaxes with her horses Slider (left) and Wade. Photo / Pam Jones

Ranfurly teenager Amanda Voice has notched up another set of medals as she continues her quest to attend a world American quarter horse event.

Amanda (15) won two gold, a silver and a bronze medal at the Australian Quarter Horse Association's recent Trans Tasman Challenge in Queensland.

She is now continuing to train with her horses, 8-year-old Wade and 6-year-old Slider, still aiming for selection in the New Zealand team that will attend the 2018 American Quarter Horse Youth World Cup in Texas next year.

Amanda, who has various national titles to her name, said quarter horses - so named because of their ability to outpace other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less - were ''beautiful to work with''.

''The quarter horse breed is amazing. They're such a willing horse - they'll do anything you ask. They're such a nice horse to ride and they're very versatile.''

Amanda, who started competing in Western performance events when she was just 8 years old, now trains for about four hours a day on weekdays - rising at 5.30 each morning and training before and after school - and up to eight hours a day at the weekends.

She said her love of horses and the satisfaction of success were her motivation.

''I'm a person who works hard and I like to see what you get when you work hard. For me to go to Australia [for the Trans Tasman Challenge] was an accomplishment for all the hard work I've put into it.

''And it's just the love of riding horses. It's just something I get up in the morning and do without second-thinking it.''

Amanda has one final selection camp, in January, to attend before she finds out whether she has made it into the national team for the youth world cup in the United States.