Teegan Ashby to visit Bossley Park Public School, NSW this Wednesday

The students at Bossley Park Public School are in for a treat this Wednesday afternoon, with accomplished equestrian athlete Teegan Ashby stopping by for a visit. Ashby, who hails from Howlong, west of Albury, is in town to compete in the Sydney International Horse Trials. She will contest the CIC1* three-day eventing competition with her horses Ipso Facto and Hawk Noir Psh. 

Although only 20 years of age, Ashby is no stranger to high level competition. In 2014, she won the CIC3* in Canberra and CCI2* Sydney with her 13-year-old warmblood cross thoroughbred gelding horse Rockingham No Reason. Also in 2014, Ashby was part of Australia’s successful Young Rider team which defeated New Zealand at the Oceania Eventing Championships at the Melbourne CIC2*. The 20 year old has been selected for the Young Rider team which will travel to Taupo (NZ) in May for the 2015 Oceania Eventing Championships.

 Ashby will meet the students from kindergarten and years one and two, and will be able to give them an insight into her sport – which she started at their age. “I started riding on the farm when I was very little” Ashby said. “The story goes that if I wanted to get my mum’s attention I had to be sitting on a pony as she was also a rider. I began competing in local shows and pony club events when I was about eight on a naughty grey pony called Rocky. He had two gears – go and stop !”

Bossley Park Public School prides itself on having sport and physical activity as a valued and accepted part of the school’s curriculum, believing it contributes to the development of the whole child. “It provides a vehicle for social, physical, emotional and moral learning and is an important expression of our culture” the school’s website states. “The participation, enjoyment and skill development of our students is the corner-stone of the school sport/ physical activity program.” As well as having 12 years of competition experience, Ashby is also a level 1 coach and was the 2013 Eventing Young Ambassador of the Year. Both she and the students are sure to gain a lot from the experience.