The young equestrienne was just one when she got her first pony - a little shetland she used to play with in the garden and her dad would lead her around on.

Now the 12-year old is among the best young riders in the country.

The Quirindi Pony Club member is a finalist in the Pony Club Australia awards for the best achievement by a rider under 13 years.

Nominated by the [Quirindi] club, Henry said it was "a bit of a shock" to learn of the accolade.

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Horses are very much in her blood with her dad James playing a lot of polo and her mum Miriam coaching at pony club, schools, and privately.

After that first pony, when she was two-and-a-half, Henry got a Welsh pony that she would lunge on. By three-and-a-half she was riding around by herself and by five she was competing in pony club events.

In the years since she has gone on to compete at state in six of the seven pony club disciplines, competed at the national championships and won countless ribbons at a local, state and even national level.

Her list of achievements this year include winning the 11-under-15 division at the State Jumping Equitation Championships, placing third in the under-13s at the State Formal Gymkhana Championships, being named 12-year old reserve champion at the North West Equestrian Expo and being selected to represent Australia at the International Alliance Inaugural Virtual Dressage Competition.

She is also this month meant to be competing at the nationals in showjumping and quiz. Unfortunately COVID has put a dampener on that.

While the quiz event, which Henry is the under-13s captain, and is madly studying, for, is still going ahead, the showjumping is up in the air. Miriam said they are trying to work out what they can do.

For now it is a lot of waiting and practicing on the family's sheep and cattle farm, near Blackville.

She is lucky enough to have a couple of jumps at the farm. She also likes to go for big rides through the hills.

Of the disciplines, showjumping is her favourite.

"It really makes you put a lot of trust in your horse," she said.

In her case "Duges".

An early birthday present, she has had the Welsh-Arab palomino pony for about five years. After a bit of an auspicious start - when she first got him he would land on four feet and was "scared of everything" - the two have grown to form a wonderful partnership.

"I put him up to a jump at any angle, he'll jump it," she said.

As much as she loves riding horses, she also loves working with them.

She has three she is training at the moment: Duges, Rio, who was a thoroughbred off the track and she is hoping to get to "a solid A grade", and Black Licorice, who she is looking at as a campdrafting horse.

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