By Mia Jensen.

Queensland Junior rider, Skye Hosie, has been kicking up a storm at shows across Australia. She and her fantastic team of horses have proven unbeatable at many of the major shows including Larapinta World Cup, the EKKA, the Festival of Showjumping in Queensland and the NSW Junior Indoor title in Tamworth. However, Skye’s quest for success is taking her international this year, with her eyes set on bringing home the win at the Global Amateur Tour (GAT) to be held in Mexico this June. 

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We had the opportunity to have a chat with Skye and delve into her Jumping career and aspirations. 

Skye, 16, was born and bred into horses. Her mother Louise England has been riding and competing her whole life in all disciplines, and her father Peter Hosie was a very successful jockey, so there was no surprise when Skye and her brother, James, got hooked too. 

Skye began competing at 6 and at the age of 11 she and her brother decided that Jumping was what they really wanted to do. When asked what her favourite aspect of the sport is, she replied: “My favourite thing about Jumping is the atmosphere, it’s fun and fair. I like how everyone is in the same boat, no matter how good you think you are, we all have our good and bad days, and horses are not machines, they have a brain of their own and are not perfect!” 

A day in the life of Skye is no easy task, she wakes up around 5am to ride around 8 horses, which include a mix of both showjumpers and racehorse pre-trainers, all before completing her home-schooling and TAFE courses in Veterinary and Engineering. She then finishes most of her days by working at the local pub. 

Skye’s dedication to the sport has not gone unrecognised, she has collected many outstanding wins to her to name, including, but not limited to: 

• JNSW Indoor Junior Title 2023 riding AMS Ajaccio NZPH 
• Festival of Show Jumping 2023 Junior Title Final Champion with Athena NZPH 
• Leading Junior Rider at Festival of Showjumping 2023 
• Leading Junior Rider at EKKA 

Her most meaningful wins were the two Junior’s at the Festival of Showjumping and the EKKA as “they were big events and I wasn’t expecting anything great out of them, but the unexpected wins are always the best!” she said. 

Skye’s team of horses have also been very influential in her success, AMS Ajaccio NZPH was her partner for her first ever major Junior Title, and Athena NZPH, whom she started riding in April 2023, has also been by her side through many of her wins in Junior classes and up to 135cm. 

Above: Skye Hosie and Athena NZPH competing at Magic Millions Showjumping on the Gold Coast in January.

“All the different horses that I have had over the years have also influenced my career, as they have taught me so much and have developed me into the rider I am today. Riding lots of different horses makes you a better rider, and I am grateful for them all.” Said Skye. 

Skye also credits all her trainers as a key role in her success “they have made me the rider and person I am today and have helped me achieve what I have so far,” she said. 

Skye is currently training with Olivia Hamood, Robert Goodwin, Lisa Jones and last, but not least, her mum, Louise, who is by her side everyday correcting her on her mistakes and teaching her something new. Skye also said, “I get advice from lots of different people too, as I’ve always been told that you can learn something off everyone, as everyone has different views and aspects on different things.” 

Skye’s future as a showjumper is looking very bright, and she has the ambitions and goals to go with it, “My future goals and aspirations are to be a very successful showjumper in Australia, to go overseas and compete, and one day go to the Olympics to represent Australia in Jumping.” said Skye. 

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However, going into 2024, Skye has her eyes firmly set on the Junior classes and her step up to the Young Riders, in addition to preparing for the GAT, in Mexico. 

The GAT, Global Amateur Tour Event, created by Lucy Olphert, Alexander Stefan Dattelkremer and Christian López Redetzki gives Amateur riders the opportunity to compete on borrowed horses in international Amateur competitions all around the world, with the goal to unite riders across the globe. The Mexico leg will be held at the CSI2* Puebla International and consists of four training days and three competition days. In addition to the exciting competition, riders will have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the local culture and explore some breathtaking sights, such as ancient pyramids. 

This will be Skye’s first international competition, “…and fingers crossed not my last” she said. 

“I am most looking forward to the experience itself at Mexico, as it’s not very often that you get selected to go compete in a different country on the other side of the world. I am also looking forward to riding the horses and getting a feel of what competition is like over there.” 

Skye will be competing in the 120cm Amateur, alongside her brother who will be in the Children’s class, in addition to a handful of other Australians. All riders had to go through a tough and thorough selection process to ensure they are capable of taking on the challenge. 

We would like to wish Skye good luck with her upcoming competitions and her exciting trip to Mexico, and we look forward to following her exciting Jumping career.