At only nine years of age, Werribee South’s La’Moza Velisha is taking the equestrian world by storm.
In just two weeks, the grade 4 student has made two Victorian teams – the state inter-school team that will travel to Sydney in September to compete in the national championships and the Victorian Squadettes (a development showjumping team for Victorian under-11s) – and will also compete in the Pony Club Victoria state games with her fellow Werribee Pony Club members.
La’Moza, who began riding at six, is now proving her worth with her horse, Farleigh Tobermory (also known as Pocket Rocket in the paddock), in dressage and show jumping.
Her mum, Danielle Velisha, said the family searched hard to find the perfect horse.
“Pocket Rocket is this amazing horse that even Olympians were after,” she said.
“It was Queensland’s state showjumping champion. As soon as it came on the market, we tried hard to get it.”
Mrs Velisha described her daughter and her pony as “a dream out of heaven”.
“Together they beat people in the older age groups, even adults,” she said.
La’Moza takes the sport seriously, training with a number of different coaches. International rider Nicole Tough travels to Werribee South from Queensland once a month to train the star horse rider.
Well-known riders and trainers Jason Dins, Emma Copley and Simon Tainsh also coach La’Moza.
