It will be held at Menangle on the same day as the Inter Dominion Final (March 7), Tamworth Mini Trotting Club secretary Nikki Ison said.

“Courtney Sutherland was selected out of 93 nominations,” she said.

“There are only three divisions with 15 ponies in each.

“She will be competing against ponies from all over the state as well as Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and even a pony travelling from New Zealand.

“This is only the second season of the present Tamworth Mini Trotting Club and we are so proud to have one of our club members invited to attend such a prestigious event.”

In order to be nominated, a pony in her division (10.3-13 hands) had to achieve a qualifying time of 5.5 metres per second – Joycie May achieved 6.1 metres per second.

Courtney’s pony Joycie May was a birthday present from her father.

“She was an RSPCA rescue horse that nobody could touch and Courtney spent a year gaining her trust,” Ison said.

“She would just sit in the paddock for hours with her and everything slow and steady – now she is a wonderful pony that could almost be called bombproof.

“The pony loves to race and socialise with the other ponies. Joycie May is named in honour of Courtney’s grandmother.

“Courtney is the eldest member of the TMTC and is a real mother hen to the smaller kids helping to harness up whenever someone needs it.

“Sadly we will be losing her at the end of the season because she turns 16 tomorrow and mini trotting is open for 5-16 year olds.

“Thankfully they can race till the end of the season they turn 16 in.”

Courtney will be racing tomorrow at Tamworth Paceway, then again on February 28 in preparation for her trip to Menangle.

“She has already received some significant sponsorship from various businesses in Manilla (her home town),” Ison said.

“She is even getting a new helmet with her name and the name of a sponsor on it. I believe the principal of her school is even going down to watch her race.”

The first mini-trot race tomorrow is at 5pm, before the first race of eight for the THRC on its big eight-race twilight TAB program.

The second mini trot race will be held after race four.