By ALENA HIGGINS
WARWICK’S Angela Krahe is heading off to America after being chosen as one of only four riders to represent Australia at the prestigious Pony Club USA festival later this month.
The talented dressage and showjumper will jet off to Lexington, Kentucky for two weeks on 10 July after completing what can only be described as a gruelling application process.
Over a three-week period, the 16-year-old was tasked with answering 318 questions, ranging from short, one word responses to one-page answers.
But her hard work paid off after she received word from Pony Club Australia that she had been selected.
“I was out in the paddock hurrying around trying to do stuff before the sun went down and they called and it was more like disbelief,” Ms Krahe said.
“I didn’t believe it at first then I got a bit more nervous than excited, but now I am more excited than anything.”
It will be the first time Ms Krahe, who had her first horse riding lesson at age four and joined Pony Club Queensland in 2008, has been overseas.
Pony Club USA holds a pony club festival every three years, and the week-long celebration includes 4,000 pony club members and their families.
Its purpose is to combine a national championships competition with unique educational learning and horsemanship that pony club is renowned for.
It is the first time Australians have been invited to attend the international event, which also includes riders from Canada.
Mrs Krahe thanked the Warwick community for their generosity in helping fund Ms Krahe’s trip.
“We have been doing a lot of fund-raising and Angela has approached local business and we would like to thank them for sponsoring and donating,” Mrs Krahe said.
“People in this town have been extremely generous towards the enormous cost of sending her.”
