by Kristal Byron
Local equestrian Leah Van Ewijk has secured third place in the highly competitive Australian’s Greatest Horsewoman competition (AGHW), despite not having reliable access to an arena and making a 3,000-kilometre return trip to Victoria.
Without standard facilities to train her horse and lacking cattle for practice, Leah had to think outside the box to prepare for the competition.
She transported her horses to different areas each day, seeking borrowed and hired arenas, local showgrounds, and even training on the beach.
Despite these challenges, Leah’s fundamental training and the strong bond with her horse, Oakie, laid the foundation for success.
She was placed fourth leading into the finals and, with sheer determination, secured an impressive third place overall.
Leah last competed at AGHW in 2022, days after volunteering at the Bangalow Temporary Equine Hospital during the floods, and nearly didn’t make the drive down because of flooded-road closures. That year she finished in seventh place.
The journey to the contest in late April took approximately two weeks.
One of the major challenges was finding suitable showgrounds for her horses and allowing them time to eat and rest every two hours, as extended travel could make the horses unwell.
But the AGHW competition is just the beginning for Leah and Oakie.
Leah plans to showcase her skills and compete in future events, including the Tropicana Classic competition at Caboolture Equestrian Centre in July and the Australian Reined Cow Horse Association National Finals 2024 at White Park, Scone.
