Australian jumping has another talented young rider to cheer for, with Molly Mooney selected to represent Australia at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.

Advertisement

Molly secured the coveted position following an outstanding performance at the Final Selection Trial held at Bimbadeen Park, where the young riders were asked to demonstrate far more than their ability to jump a course. With athletes required to ride borrowed horses, the trial tested their adaptability, feel, decision-making and ability to quickly establish a partnership with an unfamiliar horse.

These qualities will be particularly important in Dakar, where competitors will once again be allocated borrowed horses rather than competing with their regular mounts. It is a format that places horsemanship at the centre of the competition and asks riders to listen carefully, adjust quickly and bring out the best in a horse they have had very little time to know.

Molly will be Australia’s sole Jumping representative at the Games, which will bring together young equestrian athletes from around the world. Riders will compete for individual honours as well as joining athletes from their region for the team competition.

Her selection follows an increasingly impressive period in the sport. Earlier this year, Molly was part of the Australian Young Rider team that contested the Trans-Tasman Challenge against New Zealand. That competition also involved borrowed horses and horse changes, providing valuable international experience in the same qualities of adaptability and horsemanship that will be required in Dakar.

Advertisement

Molly joins a distinguished group of young Australian riders who have represented the country on this stage. Tom McDermott competed at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010, Jake Hunter won individual bronze in Nanjing in 2014, and Madeline Sinderberry represented Australia in Buenos Aires in 2018.

The 2026 Games will be held from 31 October to 13 November and will carry additional historical significance as the first Olympic event to be staged on the African continent. Australia is expected to send a team of young athletes across 16 sports, with Molly now preparing to proudly carry the green and gold into the Jumping arena.

While Molly earned the final selection, the standard throughout the trial reflected the strength of Australia’s emerging generation of riders. Congratulations must also go to fellow finalists Eliza Baird, Kaylee Stephens and Malikah Rudge, who each demonstrated considerable skill, adaptability and sportsmanship during a demanding selection process. The selectors had a very tough job to decide between them.

Advertisement

Reaching the final stage was an achievement in itself, and all four riders can be proud of the way they approached the challenge and represented the future of Australian Jumping.

Australian Jumping also acknowledges Shane and Niki Rose for hosting the trial at Bimbadeen Park (including the use of their horses), and for their continued support of Australia’s developing equestrian athletes. Bimbadeen has previously hosted final selection camps for major international youth competitions, providing young riders with an important environment in which to experience the expectations and challenges of elite-level competition.

Selection to represent Australia is a special achievement at any level, but earning that opportunity in a format that places such an emphasis on instinct, patience and genuine horsemanship makes Molly’s accomplishment particularly meaningful.

Congratulations, Molly. The Australian Jumping community will be proudly following your journey and cheering you on as you prepare for this remarkable opportunity. We wish you every success for the months of preparation ahead and, when the time comes, all the very best in Dakar.

Advertisement