06/10/2026
Sometimes success is simply having the courage to keep showing up.
The results people see are only a tiny part of the story. The real story is told in the early mornings, the hard days, the setbacks, the sacrifices, and the decision to keep showing up anyway.
Horses teach us that hard work doesn’t always guarantee the result we hoped for. That sometimes you can do everything right and things still don’t go your way. They teach us to deal with disappointment, to learn from our mistakes, to celebrate the smallest wins and, most importantly, to get back up and try again.
There are highs that make you feel like you’re on top of the world and lows that can absolutely break your heart. But somewhere in between the two, you learn that success isn’t just measured in ribbons, scores or placings.
And if there is one thing I have watched Harper learn through horses, it is exactly that.
To understand just how much some of these Equimillion results mean, you have to understand the stories behind the horses
Fizz’s story with Harper started long before Equimillion. Harper was just 10 years old when Fizz retired straight from racing, and she took on the enormous task of starting and producing him herself.
He has never been the easiest horse. He is quirky, opinionated and has certainly made her work for every bit of progress they have made together. But Harper has persevered relentlessly through every wave. She has put in the hours, worked through the challenges, learned from the mistakes and continued to believe in him, even on the days when it would have been easier not to.
So to see Harper and Fizz named Under 15 Years Cup Reserve Champions in the PCNSW Thoroughbred Combined Performance Championships was incredibly special.
And then came one of the biggest moments of their weekend.
Harper and Fizz finished 4th in the 80cm Junior Showjumping, earning themselves one of the major prizes of Equimillion.
This was so much more than another placing to add to the list. To see Harper standing amongst the major prize winners at an event of this calibre, with a horse she has produced herself from the day he left racing, was one of those moments where you realise just how far they have come.
Every difficult ride, every setback, every lesson learned and every time she chose to keep working with him has contributed to the horse that walked into that ring with her.
Harper has produced Fizz herself from the very beginning, and she deserves every single accolade that comes their way. Not simply because of where they finished, but because of everything it has taken to get them there.
Fizz may have taught Harper plenty along the way, but she has never given up on him. Watching the horse he has become in her hands makes me incredibly proud of them both.
🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
And then there is Roy.
Harper and Roy have only been a partnership for seven months, so what they managed to achieve at Equimillion makes me incredibly excited about what the future holds for these two.
Harper and Roy were named Under 15 Years Silks Reserve Champions in the PCNSW Thoroughbred Combined Performance Championships.
They also finished 8th in the Junior EVA65 and stepped up for their first 80cm showjumping competition together, finishing just outside the top ten in 14th place.
For a partnership still very much in its early days, I couldn’t be prouder of what these two achieved across the weekend. In just seven months they have already come such a long way together, and I really do feel like this is only the beginning for them.
🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡
To come away from Equimillion with two Under 15 Reserve Champion titles on two different horses, a major prize with Fizz for their 4th place in the Junior 80cm Showjumping, an 8th in the Junior EVA65 and a successful first step up to 80cm with Roy is something Harper should be incredibly proud of.
But as her mum, the results aren’t the part I am most proud of.
I am proud of the work behind them. The determination, the disappointments she has had to pick herself up from, the hours nobody sees and the way she continues to get back in the saddle and work towards the next goal.
The ribbons and prizes are pretty special, but the young horsewoman she is becoming means so much more.
And finally, I really need to acknowledge the phenomenal people we had around us this weekend.
Horse events like Equimillion are never a one person job. Behind every rider walking into an arena is a small army of people helping to make it happen. The people holding horses, carrying gear, getting riders where they need to be, helping with last minute jobs, calming nerves, taking photos, celebrating the good moments and being there when things don’t quite go to plan.
We were incredibly lucky to have the most amazing support crew around us this weekend. Our family, our friends and the people who continuously show up for Harper and genuinely want to see her succeed. Some of the moments from this weekend were made even more special simply because we got to share them with the people who have been there for the journey. Surround yourself with people who clap when you win, support you when things get hard and genuinely want to see you succeed. There is something incredibly special about having people in your life who genuinely want the best for you. People who celebrate your successes as if they were their own and are just as present during the hard days.Harper is incredibly lucky to have a circle like that, and as her mum, I will never stop being grateful for every single person in it.
A very special mention needs to go to Selena Rose, whose generosity and support played such a huge part in making this Equimillion possible for Harper.
Selena sponsored both Fizz and Roy for the event, giving Harper the opportunity to compete with both of her horses across the weekend. That support alone meant more to us than I can adequately put into words, but Selena’s support went far beyond sponsorship. She showed up for Harper, coming out to watch and support her across all three days of competition and sharing every high and low of the weekend with us.
There is something incredibly special about someone not only believing in a young rider, but genuinely investing in their opportunities and then being there in person to watch them make the most of them.
Selena, thank you for believing in Harper, for supporting both of her horses and for helping give her an opportunity she will never forget. You played a huge part in this weekend and in everything she was able to achieve, and we will always be incredibly grateful.
It takes a village, and ours is a pretty bloody good one 🫶🏼
📸 KLM Media and Georgia Young Photography
