PG . 44
AQHA FEATURE
Leanne advises fellow competitors to “ Just do you ! Set goals , stay focused and chip away at them to achieve your dreams .”
Maddie and Smart Like Cooper Q-70475 - October 2020 QLD Championships
Leanne would like to acknowledge and thank her long-time sponsors for their constant support and guidance . They include Prydes EasiFeed , Equissage Australia , Double J Saddlery and Coolhorse .
“ I really don ’ t want to retire until I have claimed an APRA Australian Barrel Racing Title . I feel like Lisa Lockhart as she has achieved so much in American Barrel Racing but is yet to win a World Title in the PRCA / WPRA . Like I said earlier , I will just keep chipping away at it ,” says Leanne of her future goals .
‘ Don ’ t knock your fellow competitors . By boosting others , you will boost yourself . A little competition is a good thing , and severe competition is a blessing .’ Maddie ’ s love of horses comes naturally , having grown up with them since the beginning .
With all the family competing in Rodeos , and her Mum a Champion Barrel Racer , Maddie has been competing in Barrel Races since she could sit up on a horse and has been riding on her own since age 2 . “ I was 4 when my parents entered me at all the Rodeos of my first APRA Northern Run . It was the first thing
I could do independently so I just loved being able to get out in front of the crowd and go as fast as I could ,” Maddie recalls .
This year events have been limited due to the Corona Virus Pandemic , but the duo would generally attend around 30-40 events per year . The Year 12 Student has had many career highlights over the years , including :
• 5 times qualifier in Barrel Racing to the APRA Junior NFR .
• Runner Up APRA Jnr Barrel Racing Title in 2019 .
• Multiple ATRA and CHBHA Jnr Barrel Racing Champion .
• Winning the Open Divisional Barrel Race on Smart Like Cooper ( Q- 70475 ) at the recent Qld Championships in Gracemere which was a career highlight in taking that out against over 300 horses .
• Winning the Junior Divisional on 12yo Chestnut Gelding ‘ Peptos Jackson Roc ’ at the same event - ‘ Flashy Pepto ’ ( Q-53998 ) x ( Q-28560 ) ‘ Miss Traditional T .’
• Finishing fifth in the Classic event with a young horse I started on barrels . 7yo Chestnut Mare ‘ Bid For Lil Acre ’ ( Q-95888 ) by ‘ Little Biddy Acre ’ ( Q-59344 ) X ‘ Savvy Lil Hank ’ ( Q-47651 )
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