Our state's future stars shine at last Rising Stars clinic of the year

Perth's beautfiful spring weather was a fitting backdrop as WA's future requestrian stars shone again at our fourth and final Rising Stars clinic of the year at the State Equestrian Centre this week.

The Rising Stars program works closely with around 30 of WA's best young equestrian talent to provide a structured pathway for young riders aspiring to reach the ranks of a High Performance Squad and potentially national selection in the future.

The emphasis of Rising Stars is not only on furthering riding talents in dressage, jumping and cross country, but also providing all round education in all aspects of equestrian sports such as organisational skills, sports psychology, horse management, personal health, exercise, diet and fitness regimes.

Thanks to the incredible support of our great friends at Racing and Wagering WA, this particular clinic also featured an opportunity for our future stars to participate in a 'Have a Go Day' experience at Lark Hill. 

Participants were given the exciting opportunity of riding their own horses on the track proper. Each individual set out to reach a timed goal of 25 seconds per furlong, gaining a glimpse into what it is really like to ride pace work as a jockey.

After successfully completing two laps of the course, the riders then jumped on the mechanical horse to see the difference between the position that they ride compared to how jockeys ride. Equestrian WA sends our sincere gratitude to Sharyn Lancaster and Kate Southam of RWWA who assisted the riders and of course our wonderful Rising Stars parents for their help on the day. 

Our sincere appreciation also to our coaches Leisl Wilding, Kellie-Ann Crowe, Deborah Spencer, Emily Gray and Shaun Dillon for their incredible work with our riders during this clinic and helping to shape future of equestrian sport in WA.

EWA would like to thank Maitland Park and Careers in Racing for their generous ongoing sponsorship which allows us to continue the journey for our talented athletes in further developing their skills in riding and horse management.

More information on the Rising Stars program for 2023 will be released soon.