KURMOND’S Romany Sanna has been riding ponies since she was a toddler.
She has only ridden a couple of full sized horses, and prefers the smaller ponies.
She will ride Flash Fonzie and Smack the Pony, pictured, at the New South Wales Young Rider Championships which runs from Friday to Sunday at the Hawkesbury Showground at Clarendon.
Sanna, 12, said she had been involved in dressage since she was eight, and became interested in it because her mother, Rachael Downs, also competes.
‘‘You need to bond with your horses in the sport of dressage. You have to get on with the horse,’’ she said.
‘‘You rely on them to do what you want and to co-operate so you have to have a bond with them.’’
Sanna said she gave herself plenty of time to bond and practice with her ponies.
‘‘Smack the Pony is turning 15 this year and that’s the one I’ve had for almost three years now,’’ she said.
‘‘We got Flash Fonzie to see how he goes and he has turned out great for me.
‘‘I’ve been competing with him for four or five months and he is doing the novice levels at this competition.’’
Sanna said she loved riding, and took any chance she could to do so.
‘‘I practise a lot at home. On the weekends I do it a lot. During school it is a bit harder but I ride as much as I can during the week,’’ she said.
Sanna said she was looking forward to the three day competition at the weekend.
‘‘The competition is a great way to come down and have a look at the other horses and ponies and to look at the different styles of riding,’’ she said.
‘‘My mum is a professional dressage rider so I guess seeing her doing it encouraged me to start it and I just started to enjoy it.’’
Dressage NSW Clarendon Competition secretary Karen Lever said it was a very prestigious event and the best riders from New South Wales would be there.
‘‘The atmosphere is normally a very friendly one, with heaps of riders giving each other support with their rides but at the same time they are all very competitive,’’ she said.
‘‘They look forward to just competing as young riders and competing against riders of their own age group. It is something that young riders can work towards as a goal for the year.’’