It was somewhat inevitable that horses would be a big part of Matthew Kerridge's life.
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The Tamworth teenager was just two when he first hopped in the saddle and since then has been captured by the same passion that saw his father Malcolm represent his state and country in eventing and be shortlisted for the Australian equestrian team for the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
"The first horse I competed on was an old palomino called Bo Addino Bellboy.
"I did lots of cross-country clinics as a kid on him and he started to get me going," Kerridge reflected.
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These days he is one of the best young riders in the state.
On the weekend the 16-year-old was part of the five-strong Zone 5 contingent that represented NSW at the Pony Club Australia nationals NSW 'hub event' at Moonbi.
He was joined in the NSW blue by Kootingal and District Pony Club's Miriam U'ren and Anastasia Haling, and Quirindi's Robin Henry and Molly Baker.
Due to the virtual nature of the event, the results won't be known for a little while with judges having to sift through all the videos of the competition from all the state hub events, but they all competed well and had a lot of fun and enjoyed the experience, Zone 5 deputy chief instructor Jude Alston said.
Kerridge competed in the junior combined training and the tetrathlon.
The combined training was held instead of the eventing, which Kerridge had qualified for by finishing reserve champion aboard MJK Red Barron, or Basil as he is affectionately known after John Cleese's character in Fawlty Towers, at the state one-day event in Harden.
The Tamworth Pony Club junior captain, he spoke before the weekend of his excitement and pride to represent his state.
It was also good to be back out competing after what has been a bit of "a hit and miss" last 24 months as far as events.
Not that Kerridge has really missed any time out of the saddle.
He just dialled up the training and used the time to get "clearer insights with how to ride different horses with different mindsets".
In the most recent school holidays he was riding six-eight horses a day.
Kerridge said he loves all the different disciplines but if he had to pick one, it would probably be dressage.
"There's so many different movements out there," he said.
That being said, after he was talked into doing at the nationals, Kerridge was so taken by the tetrathlon, which comprised a run, laser shoot, swim and showjumping round, that he is going to take it up as a discipline now.
The weekend was also a good chance to see the fruits of all the work he has done with Basil.
Over the lockdown he did a lot of work with him on his dressage.
"He's a really good reliable horse but doesn't have some of the razzle dazzle other horses," Kerridge said.
"He's getting a lot stronger and his trot is way more active than it was before."
He also worked with him on his jumping.
"He can get a bit fired up at times," he said.
"I used the same basics from the dressage to get him a lot more confident and let his shoulder go".
"Now he's jumping a lot more cleanly."
