He might be outnumbered by female riders in the Otago-Southland team for the New Zealand Pony Clubs Association horse trials championships in Oamaru this week but he is not concerned.
"It's not easy but it's a pleasant outnumbering to say the least. It doesn't phase me whatsoever," he said yesterday.
Callum (18), from Alexandra, is joined by Kendra McRae (17), from Invercargill, Heather McLeod (18), from Dunedin, and Anna Poole (18), from Wyndham, in the A1 section for riders aged 17-21. Scott Martin (17), from Gore is the reserve rider.
In the DC section for riders 16 and under, Jayne Beattie (15), from Black Rock, and Lisa Milliken (14), from Queenstown, will represent the region.
There is also a training team, competing at a lower height, comprising Hannah Johnston (15), from Mosgiel, Gabriella Perry (13), from Dunedin, and Cate Howie (16), from Wanaka.
Callum, quite possibly the team larrikin, first started riding because his sisters did and his mother suggested he should have a go.
He spent about the first week "hooning around" on a pony, before learning to ride "properly". He gradually became more interested and his riding improved.
A highlight was going to the United Kingdom, with five other riders, in a trip organised by Central Otago Pony Club in July last year. They competed at the British pony club championships.
This is the first New Zealand pony club horse trial championships for the young man who works at Beaumont Station's sport horse stud, riding and training horses.
He hoped to go to the UK and do a farrier apprenticeship, having been shoeing horses since he was 14, but he wanted some qualifications behind him.
"Any cowboy can whack a shoe on," he said.
Willy, also known as Beaumont Boy, is his station-bred steed, whom he has been riding for about 18 months.
The combination mainly competed in eventing and showjumping and "dabbled" in dressage.
Eventing was Callum's real passion, as he enjoyed the combination of the three disciplines: dressage, cross-country and showjumping.
He and Willy were the highest-placed senior combination at the Springston Trophy this year.
Callum's plans for the future were to "just keep living the dream, really" with lots of small goals leading to the big goal of competing in the Olympic Games.
The championships begin today with the official welcome and cross-country course walk.
That is followed by the dressage phase tomorrow, cross-country on Saturday and showjumping on Sunday.
Otago-Southland team manager Fiona Nesbit, from Mosgiel, was confident about the team's chances.
It was a strong, experienced team, while the training team was also going to be very competitive, she said.
Team captain Anna Poole, who is attending her fifth championships, was looking forward to seeing the newly built cross country course today, saying that would be the most exciting part.
