7yo Hallie is no show pony, she's National Champion Rider of the Year

The Cowdroys are a family dedicated to horses, and while Hallie is only seven-years-old she has the spirit of those who rode before her running through her veins, while her hands are holding assertively to the leather reins.

"I just like feeding them and riding them, rugging them and all that," a humble Hallie said.

In fact, her passion runs a lot deeper.

Hallie dedicates 30 hours in the saddle weekly, waking up in the early hours of the morning to practice on three ponies before her day begins, and has dreams of competing at the Olympics in the future, a very real possibility since she has been riding independently since she was two.

The sky is the limit for the recently awarded Equestrian Australia National Champion Rider of the Year, for the under 9s category in 'Show Riding'.

As she sat on Kit, not her usual horse Obie who was out with hives, Hallie focused on her training - "back straight like a soldier sitting up tall, elbows on hips, shoulders open, balance correct, feet set, no 'monkey' with a rounded back or forward lean".

"Couldn't believe it was me," Hallie said of her win with a smile.

Early dawn starts of riding ponies before school and her sheer determination allowed her to almost effortlessly recall the set pattern, which included a walk, trot, canter, change of the reins, and a lengthen.

Her mother, Kristen, had prepared the pony by plaiting its mane and tail, and carefully applying horse makeup in blacks, whites, browns and chestnuts; a process by which the makeup helps with contouring, eyes darker and blended, whites brighter, and blacks on hooves.

After taking out the national title, Hallie, wearing a sash of blue and white flowers, looked at her mother and asked, "What are we working on this week?", still focused on representing Australia.

"I cried for many different reasons, because she did it on a horse she'd only got on two to three days before. You don't have that bond, we had to change a few things because he was trained differently," Kristen said.

"We spent a few hours on [Kit] the previous day, so that in itself just shows her capabilities.

"Just to then win nationals on a pony you stepped on days beforehand, and it was emotional because I think it was really for Patrick, that one."

Hallie's uncle Patrick and grandfather Robert Salway were tragically killed during the Black Summer bushfires, but their legacy lived on through their love for life among the stables.

"And my dad would have cried, my mum cried, she was very emotional...and then because of our story, and how level-headed Hallie is, there were so many people that were happy," Kristen said.

Having won nationals, Hallie is now preparing for Grand Nationals, which take place in Sydney in April 2024, where she will complete in five different classes with three ponies, hoping to secure the Grand National champion title like her uncle.