Arthur Gorrie
Sienna Watson’s upcoming trip to America will be a memorable family holiday for all concerned, except her.
Sienna, 14, will be hard at work training for and competing in the American National Barrel Horse Association’s Teen World Championships.
The Jones Hill resident says she will be competing with the best in the sport, including rivals up to 18.
The event, to be held in Perry, Georgia, involves “lots of speed, agility and maneuverability,” Sienna said, as she enjoyed working with her own horse, Cee Ulena, also known as “Bubby.”
Sienna won the Bull, Bronc and Barrels Buckles Series event at Mary Valley College at Imbil recently.
That makes two out of three rounds of the competition, with the third to be held in September.
But the trip to the USA is another thing again, starting at the end of the month (thtis, next Friday).
So it is all happening fairly quickly.
The competition itself starts on 22 July, giving her time to get to know the horse she will hire for the event.
Then it will be an intense week of competition riding.
The Teen World Championships is for riders between 13 and 18 from all over the world, including Panama, Italy, China and of course, the USA, among many other horse riding nations.
At some point she will have a break as her family reunites.
“Her grandparents live in Reno, Nevada, so we’ll be visiting them,” said Mum, Rachel.
“Dad, Greg, will join us during the competition,” Rachel said.