SADDLE UP: Teenager Ella McKinnon and Haz will compete at Manfeild tomorrow. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
NGA Tawa School equestrian prefect Ella McKinnon will captain the Manawatu West Coast team at the New Zealand Pony Club Association National Championships at Manfeild starting tomorrow.
The Mount Stewart 17-year-old is looking forward to making her national competition debut at a fresh stop for an annual event that, due to a rolling schedule, visits Manawatu just once every decade. But it is not just about fun, she concedes.
A quiet-spoken demeanour belies a fierce aspiration to take her love of riding to professional level. How far?
"It's not a hobby any more," she laughs.
"I definitely want to continue in eventing. I want to get to the highest level, that's for sure."
It is a dream potentially held by many of the hundreds of young riders coming tomorrow for a competition that runs over the following two days.
New Zealand supports 82 pony clubs and from these have been drawn 12 teams, each representing the designated national areas and comprising up to six competitors in three age divisions (under 21, under 16 and under 14).
Competing so close to home makes for short travel times but does not lessen a challenge that has become just that little bit bigger for McKinnon in her role as team captain.
The home side draws riders from a large catchment. In addition to Manawatu it covers Horowhenua, Rangitikei and Wanganui - but her teammates are all familiar faces from regular local competition.
She also has experience of leadership through being prefect of equestrian at Nga Tawa School, Marton.
"It's pretty exciting. It's my first time at the nationals, too, so it's going to keep me busy, that's for sure."
Captaincy involves levels of duty - one being to ensure her teammates reach their scheduled events - but it is not too authoritative and one aspect will be organising and performing a fun skit at today's opening.
On top of this, she has to concentrate on doing well in the A1 Champ Class, the highest-level category.
"A1 is the biggest class so you get the harder tests - we start with dressage at Manfeild on day one, then cross-country [at Massey University], then back to Manfeild for showjumping on the last day, Saturday."
Doing well in all three is the key and, while not wanting to be boastful, she has confidence.
"They are all very different phases but I would say I'm pretty strong in all three fields ... there's not really a weakness."
It all comes down to spending every spare moment riding and caring for her horses.
Her mum, Paula, attests to Ella's diligence.
"She is utterly committed. There's no time for anything else."
Nga Tawa, too, is also a help by having an equestrian course and close involvement with the sport.
"We get lessons all the time and have opportunity to do a lot of riding," Ella said.
Being on a farm and with horses in her life from the start, it was inevitable an interest would flourish.
"I had ponies back when we learned to walk ... my cousin and I shared a pony that we learned to ride on."
She strayed away from riding at 5, but then regained interest at 10, and began competitive participation two years after.
Success in competition is two-way; so much comes from forming a close relationship with the horse. This week her trust is in Kakaho Skyline - simply Haz to those who know him best - a 16-year-old on loan from her cousin, Jack, and his parents Bryce and Michelle Newman, of Bulls.
Though the horse has only been with Ella for three months, they have a good partnership based on respect - and friendship.
"You definitely have to have a strong bond. If the horse doesn't trust you, or you don't trust the horse, then you're not going to get the results you want. It's all about raising the bar every time you go out. You always want to be better than your last result."
Manfeild stadium's reputation as a premier facility for equestrian competition was one of the draws for its selection as host venue.