Gilston State School student Billie Collins rides horse Winnie to school for Active School Travel day

For most children, Active School Travel Day means walking or riding a bike. But one Gold Coast preppy had other ideas. See the super-cute photos and video.

For most Gold Coast children, Active School Travel day is an opportunity to leave mum and dad’s car behind and walk or ride their bike to school.

But for Gilston State School prep student Billie Collins, it means something even more special.

On Friday Billie, 5, took her best friend to the school gate – beloved horse Winnie.

Mum Lucy Andrews said her daughter had been talking about riding Winnie to school even before she began classes in January.

“She was very excited. This has been about a year in the making, she has been wanting to ride her horse to school,” Ms Andrews said.

“In her school interview it was the first thing she asked, if she could ride her horse in.”

Billie Collins arrives at Gilston State School with her horse Winnie as part of the school's Active School Travel day, accompanied by her grandfather Steven Andrews. Picture: Matthew Andrews.

Billie and her horse Winnie were led to school by grandfather Steven Andrews, or ‘Poppy’ as she knows him.

“I was brought up with horses all my life. I was in pony club for 20 plus years. In 1981 I went to Canada and represented Australia with the pony club,” he said.

“I’ve worked at the Gold Coast Turf Club for 40 odd years, with the racehorses.

“Horses have been a big part of our lives.”

Mr Andrew, a long-time Southport Pony Club member and Turf Club employee, has been unable to ride in recent years after having a double lung transplant.

“That’s set me back a touch,” he said.

Instead he’s been passing on his knowledge to Billie after presenting her with Winnie at Christmas in 2021 when she was just two.

“Since she was just one and a half years old she kept saying, ‘Poppy I want a pony’,” wife Debbie said. “So at Christmas in 2021 he got her one”.

Winnie was a big hit with all the students at Gilston. Picture: Keith Woods.

The trio – Billie, Poppy and Winnie – have been inseparable since, with Mr Andrews saying Billie appeared to have inherited a passion for horses that ran through the family.

“My father, he had trotters and gallopers. My nephew and brother in law, they’re big in the trotters as well. They’re leading trainers and drivers in the trotting world. The whole family has just been connected with horses,” he said.

“I never got my kids involved in pony club or horses. We didn’t have the land to have horses at the time.

“But once we moved back out here to Gilston, they persuaded me to get a horse for Billie.

“And she’s loving it, she absolutely loves going to pony club and riding.

“She’s the next generation. She looks very good the way she handles the horses, the way she rides.

“She’s had Winnie now for three years. Winnie’s been a great little pony for her to learn on. They’ve got a great association.”

Winnie was a Christmas present for Billie from her grandfather Steven Andrews when she was just two years old.

Gilston State School principal Craig Douglas said staff were delighted to accommodate Billie’s wish to ride Winnie to school as part of its Active School Travel program.

“At Gilston here we’re the green behind the gold, a country school on the Gold Coast. We definitely have the room. They can park the horse here in the shade and ride it home of an afternoon.”

Mr Douglas said while they might not all be lucky enough to have a horse to ride in on, the school’s 502 students had embraced the Active School Travel program, run at 50 Gold Coast schools with council support.

At Gilston, it is also supported by Highland Church, whose volunteers provide free pancakes before class to students who have worked up a hunger walking, cycling and scootering to school.

Mr Douglas said: “It’s great to see, kids love it. The activity before class starts sets them up, ready to learn, from nine o’clock.

“Behaviour is excellent. When we’re active, we’re healthy.”

The program has also earned enthusiastic support of parents, including Billie’s mum Lucy.

“Gilston is such a lovely school and we’re grateful we get the opportunity to let Billie experience this,” she said.

“This is the first Friday of many you will be seeing Billie riding her horse here.”

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