Meet Ava Peel: Champion of Junior ASHLA at Sydney Royal 2024

The Australian Stock Horse Ladies Association class, commonly known as the ASHLA, is always held in high esteem, honouring the breed of the Australian Stock Horse, and their turnout - a dream many young women wish to claim. Achieving victory in the ASHLA requires considerable dedication, preparation and training. For 16-year-old Ava Peel, that dream became reality when she was named the winner of the Junior ASHLA class at the 2024 Sydney Royal Show.

Tell us about yourself and your history with Australian Stock Horses. I am 16 years old, from Merriwa, NSW, and I am currently in year 11 at St Joseph’s Catholic College in Aberdeen. I am a fourth-generation Stock Horse member of our family, and Boon Hill Boston is also a fourth-generation home-bred gelding. I have been riding most of my life and competing in ASH classes since around the age of five.

How many years have you been coming to Sydney Royal, and what classes have you competed in? I competed in my first Sydney Royal at the age of six; I have competed in pony hacks, show hunters, pony club, pony breeds and ASH classes. I was lucky enough to be presented Champion and Reserve Champion Ridden Australian Pony a few years ago. Boston and I have also been lucky enough to consecutively win the under-15 hands ASH Gelding Hack three years in a row. At the 2024 Sydney Royal, he was awarded Reserve Champion Australian Stock Horse Hack.

Please explain what ASHLA is and how many years you have left in juniors. The ASHLA (Australian Stock Horse Ladies Association) is a class only for ladies to compete in. It is broken into four sections, each section being scored out of 25 points: a) the rider’s ability, b) the horse’s ability, manners and paces, c) the dress and equipment, d) the general presentation and horse type and conformation. I have two years left in the junior ASHLA class.

When did you first compete in ASHLA, and what attracted you to the class? I started competing in ASHLA at 13 years old, which is the youngest you can compete in this class. My grandmother inspired me as she won the first-ever ASHLA at Sydney Royal. Also, our close family friend Loretta Lawson encouraged me to pursue competing in this class as she was the person who taught me about the class and helped me get started
in ASHLA.

What did the ASHLA morning look like for you and Boon Hill Boston? It was just like a typical show morning, sticking to our regular routine. I ensured that we gave ourselves enough time for myself and Boston to be neat and tidy and finish getting ready for the class with enough time for a final polish over my gear. My gear was clean and ready to go the night before the class to alleviate any stress or rushing around the morning of the class.

Talk us through your workout and how it felt. There are always nerves. However, Boston is an honest horse, so all I had to do was make sure that we were riding to the conditions. The arena can sometimes be slippery when doing haunch turns and aiming for a neat and clean pattern. Overall, I was really happy with our workout and how he performed.

What are you hoping to improve on for next year? There is always room for improvement, and this year we are aiming for consistency in our training routine to continue successfully into the future.

Any tips for keeping your gear in tip-top condition, and what criteria do you look for in selecting it? In selecting my gear, we look for correct fitting and quality saddlery; I prefer my gear to be matching and traditional saddlery. I always keep my gear in gear bags, which keeps it in tip-top condition, whilst being thoroughly cleaned before competitions.

What is next for you and Boon Hill Boston? Our next major event will be the ASH Nationals in May; then later in the year we will hopefully be competing at the ASH Youth National Show.

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