Vicki Wilson during her introduction to the massive crowd gather in Kentucky. PHOTO/Road to the Horse
Vicki Wilson during her introduction to the massive crowd gather in Kentucky. PHOTO/Road to the Horse
Accomplished horserider Vicki Wilson will have just three hours to tame a horse that has run untouched for three years before putting it through its paces at a equestrian spectacular in America.
Whangarei's Ms Wilson is one of four women to compete in the World Championship of Colt Starting competition at the Road to the Horse event - one of the most coveted titles among all those offered in the horse industry, equivalent to Badminton in the eventing world and the US Open in golf.
It is the first time a rider without a background in western riding has been invited to the event staged in Kentucky touted as the "horse capital of the world".
Today Ms Wilson will get to choose a horse from those that have run wild on a quarter horse ranch for the past three years.
Untouched horses will be trained in three hours by talented horseriders including Whangarei's Vicki Wilson.
PHOTO/Road to the Horse
"I am incredibly honoured and excited to be invited to compete at Road to the Horse in 2017. It's such a unique and prestigious event, I'm humbled to be involved," she said.
"I am looking forward to the opportunity to share my methods of starting horses under saddle, on the other side of the world."
But the talented equestrian, with a stunning showjumping record on New Zealand turf, is no stranger to gaining the confidence of wild horses having starred in the television series Keeping up with the Kaimanawas with her two sisters.
The show saw the sisters train the wild horses and highlighted the challenges of dealing with horses that have had no human contact.
Vicki Wilson will select one of the wild horses - which she will train in three hours before putting it through an obstacle horse. PHOTO/Road to the Horse
"It's about trying to get inside their head and find out what works individually for that horse. We don't apply the same method to every horse because every horse has a different way of learning," Ms Wilson said prior to the event starting.
Organisers have said spectators witness the partnerships that develop and see the setbacks and triumphs, as competitors build a relationship with an untouched horse.
Judges take into consideration every horse is an individual and there are many methods of horsemanship that are "natural" or respectful of the horse, its nature and how they learn.
Judges watch and score every moment of interaction between horse and rider, saying it is not just the performance in the obstacle course that decides the next world champion, but every step and breath taken from beginning to end.
