Team NT take away Sportsmanship award at national champs

Riding unfamiliar horses and up against states boasting hundreds of riders, team NT won big at the recent 20223 Equestrian School Champs.

Up against 700 of the country’s top junior riders, six Territorians trotted their stuff at the Marcus Oldham Australian Interschool Championships for Equestrian Sports in Victoria.

The week-long event, held between September 29 to October 3 at the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre, saw school riders from across all the states and territories go head to head at Australia’s largest equestrian grassroots program.

“The NT is a small team but they put up a mighty effort,” Northern Territory Equestrian coach Nicole Mutimer said.

“We are not a big equestrian state but we mixed it with the big dogs and it was an amazing showing from all the kids.”

Team NT's Bridie McKenna, Lalwa May, Layne Martin, and mascot the Croc (Brooke Huppatz) after receiving the Sportsmanship Award at the 2023 Marcus Oldham Australian Interschool Championships. Picture: Vicki Martin.

Despite the challenges of travel, cost and riding unfamiliar horses, the riders from up north came away with some huge results.

“The kids were riding horses that they didn’t know,” Mutimer said.

“In the past we’ve brought our own horses down but it’s a lot of time and money and ends up being nearly a one-month round trip, and people only have so much time that they can get off work.

“So the kids were allocated some pool horses to ride.

“Pool horses are provided by the governing committee at an event and is up to their discretion whether or not you receive one.

“Often due to distance WA and NT are the riders who are allowed them

“We were actually pretty humbled at the calibre of the horses.

“The kids were a bit overwhelmed at first but once they hopped on and I reminded them to remember that the job is the same, it’s just in a different place.”

The NT team didn’t come home empty-handed, with 14-year-old Layne Martin placing second overall in the intermediate 100cm showjumping class following a second, third and fourth place finish across the three events.

Team NT also won the Team Sportsmanship Award, a honour given to the team that is voted on by the officials at the event.

TEAM NT

Captain – Lalwa May (16)

Vice-Captain – Bridie McKenna (15)

Layne Martin (14), Reserve Australian Champion for the 100cm Intermediate Show Jumping.

Maya Purdon (14)

Georgia Dennis (14)

Bailey Howie (9)

Team Manager – Sheena Huppatz

Team Coach – Nicole Mutimer