But for Ramsey Ashworth, it is just another day in the paddock and she will get to represent New Zealand with that skill at the Pony Club International Alliance Mounted Games Exchange in the United States next week.
The 16-year-old from Taieri said she had been around horses for so long, they were almost joined at the hip.
‘‘My mum has always had horses, so I grew up around them and was put on lots of horses and dragged around the place basically my whole life.’’
Ramsey said she got her first pony - Serenade - when she was 7.
‘‘Serenade’s actually my main games pony and now, 9 years on, she has gone from teaching me to ride, to helping me compete nationally.’’
Mounted games are fast-paced, equestrian relay races on ponies, that showcase a high degree of athleticism, precise hand-to-eye co-ordination and teamwork.
Teams race to complete various skill-based tasks such as weaving through poles, picking up dropped items at speed, or vaulting on and off their ponies mid-competition.
They are among more than 30 officially recognised race types.
‘‘Prince Philip requested permission to create a competition for children who didn’t have access to costly, high-quality ponies and gave them the opportunity to compete, and develop riding skills just like anyone else.
‘‘In 1984, Norman Patrick created the Mounted Games Association, to allow riders older than 16, to compete in games.’’
The games were originally based in England, but quickly spread around the globe.
Ramsey said she was introduced to mounted games through her local pony club.
‘‘A good friend of mine and her family were very involved in mounted games.
‘‘They invited me to come and ride in a teams competition in Miller’s Flat in 2021 and after that, I was hooked.
‘‘I really enjoy how team-orientated it is.
‘‘It relies on all the riders in the team achieving success - not just one fantastic rider.’’
Ramsey was selected to represent New Zealand at the exchange in the US by the New Zealand Pony Club Association based on her results in games competitions over the past two seasons.
It was only the second time a New Zealand representative team had competed in the event, she said.
The greatest challenge of the games would be riding a foreign pony.
‘‘It isn’t very common for riders to take their own ponies.
‘‘They often use ‘pool ponies’ that are offered from local competitors, or borrowing ponies over there.
‘‘This means that you have no time to get accustomed to the pony that you will be competing internationally on.’’
It also meant riders had to be very good on a variety of ponies and have the ability to quickly adjust, she said.
‘‘Sometimes it can be really hard to work out their quirks in the limited time that you have.’’
She said training in the build-up to Kentucky had been ‘‘a bit difficult’’, but she was working hard on a variety of ponies to test her ability to adjust quickly.
The exchange takes place July 10-20.
