Mansfield teenager Sophie Fox, 16, competed the 12-year-old at the Melbourne International Horse Trials at Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre over the weekend, and said the gelding's days as a jumper made him the perfect eventing horse.

Amen Rhythm, now known as Practice Makes Perfect, or by his stable name Wally, was involved in a severe fall at Oakbank in 2007 which saw gelding I'm John euthanised.

Wally was left with bowed tendons as a result of injuries sustained in the fall but with a lot of love and care, Sophie has nursed the thoroughbred into a new lease on life.

"Ex-jumps horses are great for eventing, their fitness is definitely an advantage," Sophie said.

"They find it easier to go across the cross country; the cross country is quite strenuous and a lot of the other horses struggle."

The Mansfield Secondary College year 10 student said she hoped to improve Wally from his current classification as a star one horse, to a star two. Star three horses are recognised as Olympic class. Sophie and Wally competed in the CCI1 star junior category of the MIHT, finishing 12th.

The MIHT is the oldest equestrian event of its kind in Australia and was originally created as a training and qualification ground for Australian Olympic teams.