Sally Groat and trusty steed Jaffa have taken out the 105 eventing (pre-novice class) at the Godolphin 2016 NSW Interschool Championships on June 22-26 after overcoming a late hiccup.
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After putting in two near flawless displays in the dressage and cross country components of the eventing, it was time for show jumping.
The Wade High School student had little breathing space with just two penalties between her and her closest rival.
Sally was going well in the show jumping before tragedy struck and the pair knocked a pole – worth four penalties.
Sally regained her composure and steered Jaffa through the rest of the event without any more hiccups.
A nervous wait followed before it was announced that Sally and Jaffa had taken out the title.
The win was a huge shock for a humble Sally, despite performing so well in the early stages of the competition.
“I thought maybe I had a chance after dressage but I thought I’d get down [the rankings] after cross country and even lower after show jumping,” she said.
“I wasn’t expecting anything.”
If winning wasn’t enough, Sally was then presented with her winning rosette and rug by champion equestrians Stuart Tinney and Shane Rose.
“That was pretty special,” Sally said.
“Stuart’s an Olympic gold medallist and Shane’s a silver medallist, they were really friendly.
“They’ve been idols of mine for a while so it was pretty amazing.”
The NSW Interschool Championships was a steep step-up in competition for Sally and Jaffa.
The duo have been competing in a lower division this season after Jaffa hurt his shoulders last year.
Despite Jaffa having performed as well as ever in the lead-up to the championships, Sally was worried how he’d handle the tougher competition.
“Out of four, he’s won two and came second in the other two. He’s been going really well but it’s just that bit lower so to put him up for state [was a big ask] and it was a tough course,” Sally said.
“I was a bit nervous for the cross country but he held up really well.”
The Australian Interschool Championships will be held on September 26-30 September at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre.
Unlike most other sports, winning at state level doesn’t guarantee Sally a spot at the national event.
“You have to have other performances behind you, they make sure you're racing consistently,” Sally said.
“I’ve been going well at the lower grade as well so this should put me in a good place.”