DINKI Di Party Girl is not your average quarter horse.
She is a former champion barrel racer, who, after being purchased by new owners, has hauled in a number of hacking and dressage awards.
Lisa Wilczak of Glossodia bought the horse in 2013, along with husband Tim, and friend Justin Worthy.
Dinki Di Party Girl, or Paris, as she is known outside the arena, has proven to be a very versatile horse.
Lisa Wilczak said when she first bought Paris she entered her in a number of hacking competitions, where she did quite well.
‘‘Quarter horses are different to warm blood horses,’’ she said.
‘‘You can show them too but they are more suited for hacking.’’
Wilczak said it was her friend Worthy, who realised the horse could do more than hacking.
‘‘With Justin’s background, he kept on saying when I was competing her [in hacking], I’d love to do dressage with her,’’ she said.
‘‘The first time he rode her he said I’m showing her and I’m not giving her back. I won the dressage saddle at a hack day and we just started from there.’’
Wilczak said Worthy was an accomplished dressage rider and trainer, and had helped guide Dinki Di Party Girl along as a show horse.
‘‘We started doing dressage with her thinking she’ll never go up the ranks but she is right in the elementary level already,’’ she said.
‘‘She just started this year. She went to Young in April and won everything there. In one weekend she won three rugs which is as high as you can go.’’
Wilczak said the horse was starting to find things difficult in the elementary level, but Worthy thought it could go as high as medium.
‘‘We’re going to keep competing her,’’ she said.
‘‘She is off to Canberra in September and then she is off to NSW Horse of the Year in October.
‘‘Then she is off to Tamworth for a hack championship in November.
‘‘She does both and she is fine. A lot of people stick to one discipline but is getting more popular to do more than one discipline.’’