By REBECCA BILLS
BELGRAVE SOUTH 13-year-old Jessica Brown has qualified for the 2013 Australian Interschool Equestrian Championships to be held in early October.
The Year Eight Beaconhills College student will be travelling to Western Australia after she and her horse Lakevale Wizard (Wiz) qualified in the 90cm Secondary, coming third overall at the Victoria Interschool State Championships.
Miss Brown said she was excited that she had qualified for the prestigious event.
“It is such a good feeling knowing I’m going, I feel like I’m living up to all the expectations because my older sister competed in the championships a few years ago too,” she said.
Unfortunately because Wiz is 18 years old he will not be joining Miss Brown in Western Australia and the family has had to borrow a horse over there.
“Mainly because I’m borrowing a horse I just want to see how I go, I hope I get some clear rounds,” she said.
“I’m a bit nervous about meeting my new horse but I’m so excited to be competing in the event and I am going over a few weeks earlier to spend time with the horse.
“You’ve got to do a routine and if you don’t do it perfectly you are sent back to do it again, so not knowing this horse’s ground manners it’s going to be interesting.”
Miss Brown has been a member of Hallam Valley Pony Club for many years and also plays basketball for the Belgrave South Red Devils and previously attended Belgrave South Primary School.
Miss Brown’s mother, Gill, said that at this level qualifying for the Australian Championships is the pinnacle for all young horse riders.
“I’m extremely proud and excited for her,” she said.
“I think she has done a fantastic job to get where she is and has put lots of hours in to get here.”
The family will be borrowing a horse from a family in Western Australian called Little Pearl.
Miss Brown will be travelling across to Western Australia for a weekend in the next few weeks to meet her new riding partner and will then travel over again before the championships to have some lessons with Little Pearl.
The family will be running a chocolate drive in Belgrave South in the coming weeks help raise money to help the family get Jessica to Western Australia to compete.
