Eadie McWilliam: Young Endurance Rider Making a Name for Herself

Endurance not only takes a skilful rider and a fit horse, but it also requires time, dedication, motivation and persistence; it certainly doesn’t come easy. At just sixteen, Eadie McWilliam has represented her country on the world stage, all while juggling the normal pressures of teenagehood and schooling. The high demands of endurance are no trouble for the hardworking and passionate horsewoman. Horse Deals spoke to Eadie to learn more about this talented young rider.

Age: 16

Lives: Brisbane, Queensland

Education/occupation: Studying at St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School in Brisbane.

Family history with horses? My family has a long history of involvement with horses over the decades, and it is most likely where I got my passion from. My mum grew up on a cattle station riding horses, and my grandpa and uncles were very skilful stockmen, whereas my dad has never really been involved with horses. However, my great granddad was very interested in racehorses, having owned the very successful Melbourne Cup winner Hyperno.

Tell us about your early involvement with horses. I’ve always been interested in horses since I was a small child. I began riding at the age of four in the local riding school, where we did showjumping and gymkhana games on the ponies. Through a close friend of my mum’s, I soon found myself at the Toft Endurance Stud, learning the ways of endurance riding.

What was your first competition, and how did it go? My first endurance competition was a 40km ride in Fernvale QLD, riding Beaudacious te alongside Alexandra Toft. It was a long hot day, but I learnt so much and finished with a huge smile on my face. From that, I had caught the bug!

What are your top three most memorable wins? In the sport of endurance, it is said that ‘to complete is to win.’ There are many memorable moments in which I may not have been standing at the top of the podium, but rather completing with a special performance of horse and rider combined, one of which is finishing the 2023 Tom Quilty National Championship with Limited Edition te, a beautiful result of hard work as a combination on a challenging course. It was a great experience with Limited Edition being selected to represent Queensland for the second time, and to also come away with the quickest present times, which is a super outcome for a young horse. Additionally I was given the opportunity to ride Dream Dancer te in a 120km 2 Star in South France. Having had a very iconic and successful career in France, it was a huge privilege to be able to ride her on the magnificent terrain of Castelsagrat. The atmosphere was so different from back home in Australia, and being able to come home with a strong finish and new friendships made is something I will remember forever. And finally, more recently, the Toft Endurance team went on an outback adventure to tackle the Winton-Longreach 220km endurance ride, raising valuable funds for the Royal Flying Doctors Service. I was very lucky to be able to participate in the legendary event with a mare named Enola, managing to complete in third junior position. The race was a huge testament to all things endurance, riding 180km on the first day and backing up with 40km the next. Enola gave me a fantastic ride and outcome (with the super assistance of our crew), and it was a challenging yet fantastic experience overall. I am extremely grateful to have the privilege of riding all of these magnificent horses in different parts of the world, and without the guidance and trust of the Tofts, none of these successes would have occurred.

Tell us about your partnership with Larntainey Silver Treasure. There is a reason why his Australian family calls him ‘GBT’ (Good Boy Treas), because he is simply a very good boy. Working in the stable with him, training on the beach or in his most favourite place, marching up the hills in the forest; he is a pleasure to work with. Treasure is trained and ridden by Penny Toft, so it was a great honour to have the chance to ride him in three major events last year. As most know, Treasure loves his job so much he can get a little strong on the track, but like Penny advised me, he finds joy in being softly spoken to and a quick pat on the neck to come back. He is a really special character to the whole team, and he has many admirers.

What was it like representing Australia at the FEI World Championships? There are so many factors that made up my unforgettable experience riding for Australia in the FEI Endurance Championships for Young Riders and Juniors. The French countryside was once again magnificent, and the event was run to world-class standard with some very talented and competitive horses and riders. Behind me as the crew, I had the best support of Penny, Peter and Alexandra Toft, my mum and dad and Tony Pernigotto. Without them, the outcome would not have been possible, and of course, Treasure, with his professionalism, made it so easy for all of us to have a nice day. Being the only Aussie in the race, it was a little confronting to be amongst teams from the UAE, France, Sweden, Portugal, Malaysia, China, USA and many more. However, it was an exciting experience that I will never forget. Treasure found his place in front of a small group, and we both felt the adrenaline in the last few kilometres of having a joint finish in hand with an American rider. Seeing my team standing at the finish made it all extra special, having them by my side almost every step of the way.

Placing 19th out of 70 riders is a huge achievement. What is the secret to your success? As I mentioned before, the Australian crew team played a major role in Treasure’s and my day. I spent a lot of time discussing with his trainer, Penny, what works best for him and how to manage him to the best of my abilities, having not done a lot of riding on him in the past. When moments in the race felt chaotic, I talked to him a lot and remained very soft. The team and I listened to him as to what he needed, whether it be lots of water on track or his favourite snack, carrots, during the hold times. At the end of the day, we had no major goals or intentions of being on the podium, but only to finish with a happy, healthy and sound horse, and everything worked out in the end. Despite the inevitable hard work, Treasure is a champion and made it very easy for us all to achieve what we had gone there to do.

How do you fit in all the preparation that Endurance requires around your other commitments? During the week, school is the priority, and weekends are spent riding and training. Setting time aside to hang out with my family and friends is paramount, as obviously the horses are very time-consuming. However, I really enjoy the balance and like to be busy. On the weekends, we typically do our big training rides, as it works with everyone’s schedule, although sometimes sacrifices are made to study for exams. Sometimes the nights are late, or the mornings are early, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

You work closely alongside the Toft Endurance Team. What role do they play in your career, and how has this come about? My biggest supporters and mentors – they have played a huge role, not only as a rider, but also in my other life. I admire their love of animals and can always go to them when something comes up. We work together to achieve great things and share similar dreams and goals.

What is it like competing alongside your mentors and coaches? As a young rider, it is certainly an incredible experience and privilege to ride alongside my mentors and coaches, Peter, Penny and Alexandra Toft, and I can definitely say some really exceptional memories have been made. From riding and training with them, there is always something to be learnt and stories to be told. In almost all of my competitions, I’ve been lucky to ride with Penny and Alexandra, and I have Peter’s expertise on the ground as a head strapper. Through all of this, I have learnt from them that horse and rider safety and wellbeing are number one always.

Who are your current rides? My current ride is Limited Edition te (Sadepers x Private Collection te), an eight-year-old part-Arabian mare who is owned by the Toft Family and trained by myself. I’ve had the privilege of starting her endurance career in 2021 as a youngster and taking her through the ranks from local 40kms to National 160kms. She may not be very tall, standing at 14.3hh, but she has a big heart and an especially kind nature. Limy and I have certainly grown together as a duo over the years, and I really value the relationship we have established. Although the odd pigroot here and there, Limited Edition has a really special character, and it has been a very rewarding process to watch her mature and flourish.

Walk us through a day as Eadie McWilliam. A typical day in my life varies, as sometimes I am occupied with school or riding. For example, on Friday I am walking out of the school gates at 3pm, ready to drive to the horses for the weekend. Amongst these rides, I am finding time for social commitments and homework. Although every few weekends we will be travelling to endurance rides and come home late on a Sunday afternoon.

Who’s your idol? This is a tough one to answer, as there have been many influential people who have impacted my life in some way. However I would say my idols are my parents, who always encourage the best out of me and allow me to pursue my dreams. As well as Penny, Peter and Alexandra Toft who have been major mentors both inside and outside of the sport.

What are the best words of advice you’ve been given? Two pieces of advice I have received, which I am always trying to enforce, are that one, hard work does not come easy, and two, always be patient and persistent in every circumstance.

If you had to pick one horse that has had the most influence on your riding career, who would it be and why? Over the years there have been many influential horses that have influenced my riding career. They are all special and have contributed something different. However, I would have to say that Beaudacious te (Chip Chase Sadaqa x Beausaphalis), owned by the Toft Family, holds a very strong place in not only my heart but also so many others. Beaudacious, always reliable and kind, was the mare I grew up riding on. She has taken me through two different states and two 160km competitions, qualified as a combination for the World Championships in 2022, ranking 51 in the world, and is my most ridden horse in competition to date. At the end of 2023, I was very fortunate to be able to ride her daughter (Beaudelicious te) in her first competition alongside Penny on Beaudacious herself. She has recently retired from competition and now remains eating lots of grass and getting spoiled as she deserves. Beaudacious played a huge role in my growing maturity as a rider and is the reason I love this sport so much.

What advice would you give to an aspiring young endurance rider? I think that in order to be successful, it is very important to work as a team with the people around you, and always be happy for others’ successes. Other than personal achievements with your horse, it is the team aspect of the sport that makes it really special.

What are your future plans? In the near future I would like to achieve well in school and hopefully study Vet at University. When the chance arises, riding for Australia again is a goal that I am willing to work for as well.

3 things we don’t know about Eadie
1. I have two older sisters; both are allergic to horses.
2. When I am not with the horses, I spend a lot of time on the boat and at the beach.
3. My other animal friends are my family’s pets, Cavoodle Coco, Tonkinese cat Minki, and my two guinea pigs, Bibble and Nelson.

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