Cassandra, who was a reserve for the team, received a phone call at 8am the day before the event telling her to get to Sydney as quickly as she could to take her place in the team.

Her mother Janelle had just returned from working a night shift and was looking forward to some sleep, but had to quickly pack for the unexpected trip to Sydney.

Cassandra loaded her horse Alan, unwashed straight from the paddock, on to the float.

With her grandfather Keith Bowden behind the wheel they set off at noon for the horse riding opportunity of her life.

The normal five to six hour trip turned into a nightmare when they encountered a huge traffic jam caused by a truck accident on the F3 freeway.

It was 9.30pm before they finally reached the Showground stables.

Competing the next day after little sleep, Cassandra was one of just four riders to record a clear round over the tough course.

Her performance was instrumental in guiding her Area 3 Pony Club team to the winy.

Cassandra said there was no time to be nervous.

“There was a big crowd, and the atmosphere was fantastic,” she said.

“You could see from the way people were dressed and the way they really wanted to win that it was serious,” she said.

“It all happened so fast it was like I wasn’t really there, I wasn’t nervous at all.”

Cassandra rode her favourite horse, Alan, who competes with the distinctive trait of poking his tongue out.

“Everybody knows Alan from the way his tongue hangs out,” Cassandra said.

“I have trained him up myself and for a free horse he’s not bad.”

Cassandra has her sights set on a career in the showjumping world as a competitor or trainer and already prepares horses for other riders and for sale.

Cassandra has a simple philosophy towards her riding.

“Even if you have talent you need to have passion to be successful. Train hard and be a good sport in defeat,” she said.