It has been four years since local Parkes teenager Nikita Noakes’ photo was on the front page of the Parkes Champion Post winning her 2009 Australian National Title and Quarter Horse Buckle.
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Nikita is the daughter of Justine Jones and sister to Sam Noakes.
Her grandparents are Helen and Daryl Jones, formerly of Parkes.
Nakita, now 16, attends Red Bend Catholic College in Year 11.
She has just received the “best phone call of her life” as she has been selected on the Australian Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Youth team to compete in the Trans Tasman Challege v New Zealand.
The young Parkes girl is one of five riders 18 years and under who will represent Australia, competing in a variety of events such as Western Pleasure, Hunter Under Saddle, Trail, Showmanship, Hunt Seat Equitation and Western Horsemanship.
This challenge is held every two years and alternates between Australia and New Zealand as hosts.
This year it’s in Australia at Tatura in Victoria from 24 – 27 September 2013.
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Nikita was absolutely thrilled and a little surprised to gain selection as she is only 16 and thought she would have more of a chance in two years time when she is 18.
So for one so young, this is a brilliant achievement in an extremely competitive sport with thousands of youth competitors all over Australia.
Nikita impressed the selectors with her sportsmanship, horsewoman skills and top level showing.
Nikita has to supply two top level competition horses for this challenge being Australian Quarter Horse registered and trained in Western style riding.
These horses are put into a selection pool and then a horse is randomly selected for each Australian and New Zealand rider.
You are not allowed to draw your own horse.
Each youth only has a few days to get to know their drawn horse, attend clinics by top American trainers and compete in a world class show being judged by the best judges most likely from America as well.
It’s hasn’t been an easy journey for Nikita, with years of hard work, misfortune and disappointment plus financial constraints which limit her showing.
But she has never given up on her goals and dreams.
Nikita’s dedication to her horses is testament to her achievements.
She missed the 2010 National Show due to her horse Monty chipping a bone in his leg two months before.
He was operated on with a full recovery for her then to go on and compete at the 2011 National Show with many top 10 placings.
Her best was 4th in an Open all age class of about 30 horses, against top level horses and top trainers.
She then sold Monty to make room for her new horse Gus.
He was broken in to saddle and was in training when unfortunately she lost him to a broken leg.
This was very devastating, and was a few months off competing in the 2012 National Show.
So she then borrowed a mare from Jodie Ward of Parkes (Goonumbla) named Montana.
With only six weeks left to train and prepare her prior to competing. Nikita did all the training herself and was lucky enough to place in some classes.
Given what Nikita had been through, it was an achievement alone just to make it to Nationals.
She was then given a new horse for her birthday, which she broke in.
Training commenced but the mare had a previous leg injury and went lame, so was no longer suitable for riding.
Nakita was able to replace this mare for a one year old gelding Ozzie.
He then broke his jaw, had surgery and has since recovered.
She has broken him in herself with the help of her mum Justine and has started low level competition on him. However, he was not ready for top competition.
Nakita also has a gorgeous yearling that she and her mum will be breaking in to be ridden at the end of this year.
Both will be top show horses, but will take years of training.
Nikita needed to find a new horse, which she did.
She competed at this year’s National Quarter Horse Championships in Tamworth at the new Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC) which is a state of the art facility.
Nikita only had four weeks to “get to know” her new horse Smoke - a four year old gelding.
But she had a very successful show and placed in Youth Hunter Under Saddle, Trail, Western Pleasure and Western Horsemanship.
She also rode Jodie Ward’s gelding Montgomery in the Youth Dressage for a brilliant 4th as well as placings in the Halter and Hack.
Nakita is now in the Youth 15 – 18 year class which is the most competitive of all.
She then went to Sydney to Horsely Park to the Sydney International Equestrian Centre (SIEC) - site of the 2000 Olympics - for the NSW Quarter Horse State Show and the National Pleasure Horse Assication (NPHA) show.
Nikita was very successful at the State show but unfortunately had to retire from the NPHA show as her horse was too sore to compete.
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Owning and competing at National level with her Quarter horses is very costly and time consuming for Nikita and her mum Justine Jones.
It requires a lot of sacrifices for the family as her brother Sam well knows.
It takes a lot of training, knowledge, discipline and drive.
“Nikita has been through more misfortune than she should have with her horses and always keeps positive with a smile on her face, her mum, Justine said this week.
“She shows maturity and a knowingness about where she is heading and what she wants to achieve with her horses. I am so very proud.”
Like her mother, Nikita has always had a passion for horses.
They both break-in their own horses and train most afternoons after work and school, and usually most weekends.
According to Justine, all of the Youth horses at the National show are being trained full time with professional trainers, and the kids only get on to ride them at these big shows.
So Nikita’s accomplishments are even more admirable, as she and her mum are a great team and do all the work themselves.
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Nikita also works at both McDonalds and the Commercial Hotel to help financially, plus she is a very academic and dedicated student at her school.
She is hoping to be selected in 2016 to compete for Australia in the Youth World Cup team, which will also be held in Australia (usually this is in Texas).
This competition will be against all the other countries in the world and is the highest international level she can achieve as a Youth in this sport.
It’s also very exciting for Australia to be hosting this event.
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Nikita needs to do fundraising to compete in September and will be selling fundraising chocolates and also having a cup cake day hopefully at her school, which she hopes is well supported.
All enquiries can be made to Justine on 0409318178 for anyone wishing to donate or sponsor Nikita - it would be greatly appreciated.