Year 11 Notre Dame student Ruby Emanuelli has spoken of her American dream.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Goulburn Valley equestrianism starlet Ruby Emanuelli has outlined her dream of competing in the United States in the future after her heroics at the State Horse Trials in Melbourne.
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A Year 11 student at Notre Dame College in Shepparton, the teenager is quickly making a name for herself in the sport and impressed at the illustrious competition which was held at Albury Wodonga Equestrian Centre from May 8 to 10.
The 16-year-old talent demonstrated her promise at the tournament, finishing in third place in combined training and fifth place in horse trials, alongside her trusted horse Rover.
The pairing also excelled in the cross country event, where they were one of only five duos to make it over the finish line out of 27 participants.
This exemplary showing at the State Horse Trials represented the culmination of six years of hard work, with Emanuelli’s commitment such that she trains every day on her 10 acre property at Ardmona.
First taking the reins at the age of 10, she has already trained 13 ponies since 2020 and grooms, untacks and feeds her pony daily, alongside her usual hour-and-a-half of training each day.
Now, the emerging prospect has reflected on the experience of competing at the State Horse Trials as she targets further success in the future.
“I was pretty happy because with past horses we knew it would be challenging, so to get there with Rover was brilliant,” she said.
She describes her “next goal” as being competing at the prestigious Melbourne International Three-Day Event held at the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre next year.
In the years to come, Emanuelli is setting her sights on potentially starring at the Olympic Games, while also targeting appearing at the historic Badminton Horse Trials in the United Kingdom.
Her ultimate dream, however, is to participate at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event in the US, with this premier five-star spectacle widely regarded as the most testing and distinguished event on the planet.
Ruby Emanuelli is one of Victoria's brightest upcoming equestrian stars.
“That’s the dream,” she said.
“It’s the highest (level) in the world, I will probably be in my 20s or 30s by the time I reach that level, I suppose I could go there for a couple of months and then come back here.”
The youngster also credits her mum as her “biggest supporter”, having backed her all the way on her journey to prominence in the world of equestrian.
“She does everything she can for the horses and she is out there just as much as I am, if I’m not there she’ll feed them, always drives us to the events.”
When on the road attending events, they travel in a caravan with bunk-beds as they put every effort into fulfilling their shared dream – with her mum on hand to cook meals whenever they need to refuel.
For now, she remains focused on developing in the sport, while continuing to build her relationship with Rover.
“He’s like a best friend and I spend so much time with him, every morning and night,” she said of her relationship with Rover.
“He’s wild and crazy, but pretty cool about it – we call him a freak of nature.”
“I ride the horses six days a week and I’ve got two of them and we do the jumps three times a week, they’re fed morning and night every day and brushed and groomed before and after I ride them.
“Then before competitions, you have to plait them up so they look nice and shiny and through the winter we clip them – so that’s on my ‘To Do’ list.”
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