Sidney took home top honours at the recent Southern Queensland Reining Horse Association’s annual Slide and Spin competition in Gatton.

The win now sets her up for a tilt at the Reining Australia National Show to be held in Tamworth later in the year.

“I won the event and buckle which was a qualifier for Nationals,” Sidney said.

The win has fast-tracked her entry into the competition which usually requires three strong showings at various qualifiers throughout the season.

In the Gatton competitions youth category Sidney was the last out with two competitors tied for first place on a 66 score. 

She was able to hold her nerves to put in a neat penalty free run to win on a score of 67.5.

Despite the success Sidney is still learning the ropes of a sport that is regularly described as the “western version dressage”.

“I’ve been doing it now for three years – so still fairly new. My dad does it and has done for a long time,” she said.

“I love it and would like to keep going to lots of other big shows.”

Sidney’s quarter horse mare Custom Mink was born and bred on the family property ‘Tombstone’ in Tenterfield and was broken in by her father Trevor.

For any reining enthusiast, competing in the United States is a dream for most.

“Reining originated on the plains of America as a way for ranch hands to see who has the best trained horse,” Trevor said.

“There are 11 patterns and in each event competitors do a pattern where they are judged and scored on each manoeuvre,” he said.

While Sidney’s keen to keep competing and hopefully realise her dream of making it state-side, there is lots of sponsorship and cost hurdles.

For now she’s focused on her next dates at the Pacific Coast and State Shows in the coming months.