PG . 10
FEATURE ~ WESTERN PLEASURE
NIKITA NOAKES
‘ A Fire from Within ’
FROM SERIOUS INJURY , AROSE SERIOUS DETERMINATION . . .
WORDS BY : LYN HOFFMANN © 2024 D PHOTOS BY : MEL CRUDEN / ACE PHOTOGRAPHY / TANIA HOBBS
Nikita Noakes loved horses and knew she wanted to ride after watching both her grandfather and her mother , Justine Jones , with theirs .
Her first Quarter horse Navan GBH Monty , was agisted with Bernard McAneney , who taught Nikita and her Mum about Western riding and showing .
‘ We attended Pauline Stuart-Fox clinics at Winderadeen , and I enjoyed all-round Youth classes , winning my first buckle in Youth Trail with Monty . My next Youth horse , RQH Whats Up Doc , or Bugsy , aided two Trans-Tasman Challenge selections . Bugsy memories include a prestige buckle & trophy from America , for AmQHA International Rookie of the Year .’
Then came Nikita ’ s heart horse , RQH Cee A Dream . Sid and Nikita were competitive during her last Youth years , and a powerhouse team in her early Amateur years .
‘ Sadly , we lost Sid a few years ago . Losing my best friend was the hardest time of my career . Sid had the biggest heart and gave me his all . We won many High Points and shared a bond many can only dream of .’
Nikita ’ s love for showing stems from her bond with horses and the ability to showcase the horse ’ s trust and training in competition . She ’ s won many classes , Overall Highpoints , EOY Highpoints , and also High Point Youth and Amateur of NSW numerous times , proudly displaying her buckle and garland collections at home . She ’ s missed only one AQHA Nationals since 2011 .
‘ In December , 2017 , just weeks after my 21st , a serious fall off my young horse broke my back . My break was two-thirds across my vertebrae . Doctors explained that if it ’ d gone right through , hitting my spinal cord , I ’ d be in
AUSTRALIAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION - www . aqha . com . au