Bairnsdale Pony Club’e Lexie O’Brien had the thrill to be a finalist in the 2024 Ride to Time State Championships at Moonee Valley Racing Club recently.
The pony club victory event is the culmination of a stringent zone qualification series.
Ride to time, or speed to safety, is learning how to ride at a certain pace and judge how fast your horse is traveling.
Pony club riders need to know this when competing in show jumping or eventing.
If you go too slow in a showjumping ring or on a cross country course, you will get time faults.
This is a discipline which can lead to work in the racing industry, as both track riders and jockeys.
Although she had no luck in the overall award, where the winner went within .03 of the allocated time, O’Brien didn’t come home empty handed, winning a best presented award and a magnificent racing bridle.
