'I've had to claw my way up': Leah wants to be Australia's Greatest Horsewoman

The 36-year-old lives at Newrybar and travels around the region helping horses with behaviour problems and provides other training to assist owners.

Originally from Sydney, she has spent 20 years honing her craft and has had a lifelong passion for the industry.

Australia's Greatest Horsewoman is a national event in Tatura Park, Victoria, which will see Leah test herself against 25 of the best riders from across the country on April 17-21.

"I was born with a passion for horses and my parents had no idea where that came from," she said.

"I think they were hoping I would grow out of it as a teenager.

"It's a dream job now and something I think I was just born to do."

With her experience and show record, Leah has the necessary skills to compete at the top level.

Her dedication and hard work have placed her among the higher level of women competitors in Australia.

"The event is challenging and you have to train for a long time to be ready," Leah said.

"It would be unbelievable to do well because it's recognition of all the hard work you've put in over the years."

The owner of Equestrienne Magazine, Sam Cavallo, is her major sponsor while Lismore vet Bruno Ros from North East Equine Veterinary Services is providing valuable assistance in preparing the horses for the journey.

Leah is driving an older car and float with her horses Oakie and Colin on the 3000km trip to the event.

She needs to find suitable showgrounds for her horses to rest and eat every couple of hours to avoid travel sickness.

"Because I didn't come from a family of horse people, I've had to claw my way up and push myself a long," she said.

"It's years of work and sacrificing money that you might want to spend on a holiday and putting that back in to your horses."

Leah competed in the event in 2022 and it came off the back of her volunteering at the Bangalow Temporary Equine Hospital during the floods .

She nearly did not make the drive down because of road closures and still managed a to break into the top 10 with a seventh placed finish overall.

"It was pretty astonishing that we went that well, with how wet it was, training was really hard in the lead-up," she said.

"This time we'll travel for two days straight and I've mapped out safe spots with water where we'll stop every few hours.

"You have to be dedicated and it's been a lot of work.

"Teaching a horse three or four different elements for the one event can be a big task."

Leah is hoping to build up her journey across her social media while attracting potential sponsors.

She is the only competitor from the Northern Rivers area competing in the four-round event comprising of reining, cutting, obstacle challenge, and the final reined cow horse event.

Her LV Horsemanship page highlights her progress.

She plans to hold local horsemanship workshops, offering education and guidance for those interested in learning more about horses and the sport of reined cow horse and horsemanship.

"I'm trying to show that you can get to these bigger events even when you don't have all the resources," Leah said.

"A lot of people already have family involved and it helps them establish connections through the industry.

"I'm lucky with where I'm out now, but I have put the work in."