Quinn Coutts (17) was first put on a pony around the age of 2 and he has been riding ever since.
Born and raised on the Taieri Plain, he enjoyed competing in the various array of horse events such as showing, showjumping, gymkhanas and one day events up until the age of 13, when he chose to focus on showjumping.
"I just enjoy the adrenaline rush of riding a horse over big jumps," he said.
In his final year at John McGlashan College, he spends a lot of time travelling to regional and national showjumping competitions.
"I do Young Rider and Horse Mini Prix events where the jumps are between 130cm to 140cm high."
Quinn was recently competing in the Interpacific Pony Club Exchange and was the only South Island rider selected for the four-strong New Zealand team. He was also the youngest rider in the event, the average competitor age being 22.
The exchange hosted national pony club teams from five other countries. All riders were on borrowed horses and competed in a number of competitions hosted by regional pony clubs around the South Island.
"It was an awesome experience. Just to see a different way of doing things and getting a different perspective from foreign coaches was very interesting.
Growing up on a small horse stud, his brother Noah is also a keen rider and his mother Charlotte was the head coach at the West Taieri Pony Club for many years.
"Pony club has been a pivotal part of my horse riding."
He is now working towards his A-certificate, which requires him to coach riders of lower levels.
"I have really enjoyed that side of it. I was helped and coached along a lot as a young rider by many people and I like that I am now able to give back by doing the same."
While training and tending to horses takes up the most of his waking hours outside of school time, Quinn enjoys playing rugby and football in the winter months. Sticking with the female-dominated equestrian sport long after many of his male counterparts have lost interest isn’t all bad.
"You do make friends with a lot of female riders, and I guess I have had to become good at talking to them. That’s been an added bonus about staying with the sport — it’s definitely good for your social skills," he said, laughing.
Where all this horsing around will lead to, he is unsure.
"I haven’t really set any aspirations. It’s quite hard to make a career out of equestrian in New Zealand. I will just keep going for as long as I can ..."
