CAMBEWARRA'S Jamie Priestley will be a part of history and compete at the inaugural Australian Jumping Teams League, after being named in Team Martin Collins Australia for the event.
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Priestley, who is joined by Brook Dobbin (Victorian showjumper), Merrick Ubank (reigning Aquis Gold champion) and Rhys Stones (current Mini Prix Australian champion) in the team, was selected for this huge event on the back of her strong results over the past 12 months.
At the end of 2018, the Nowra Anglican College alumna's accolades included; NSW Young Rider Country Champion, most successful young rider Willinga Park showjumping grand final, winner of the Stal Tops Young Rider third leg at Boneo Cup, being on the winning NSW young rider team at Australian championships and winner of the Mini Prix at Sydney Spring Jumping Championships.
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Then the 20-year-old has opened this year be being selected on the Australian Young Rider team for Queenslands Aquis Champions Tour, being runner-up in the Young Rider Stal Stops first leg and the Mini Prix Champion Camden Show - as well as going to Germany in August to compete at the Global Champions Tour Berlin, where she played third in the medium tour.
"I was contacted by the team manager of Martin Collins Australia in Melbourne to be on the team," Priestley said.
"Each team must have an under 25-year-old member and they wanted me for the team."
Priestley's team will compete against nine other sides, across four weekends, for the largest amount of prize money ever offered in Australia equestrian - with a total of up to $380,000
"This teams event has seemed to wake up the Australian showjumping community and filled everyone with excitement," Priestley said.
"To be competing with the top 40 riders in Australia in a four-event series is going to lift me as a rider - having my team members mentor me and help me with some of the toughest courses I will be jumping this year."
The first event on the schedule is at Willinga Park from September 12-15, followed by the Sydney International Equestrian Centre (October 1), Sale World Cup Show (November 22-24) and Summer Showjumping Classic (December 5-8).
"The killer instinct in me is hoping for a top-three finish however, just to be involved is extremely exciting and invaluable experience," she said.
"To be involved in the inaugural series makes me extremely proud.
"These riders are my peers - we are all striving to better ourselves and we all love the sport and the horses.
"Being in teams we all want to do even better so we don't let our team mates down.
"The help and encouragement we can give each other is a huge boost to raise the bar rather than quietly riding for yourself and setting personal goals.
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"To win the series would be the ultimate reward for the hours of training in the saddle and make all the sacrifices, made in other areas of life, be forgotten."
On top of this series, Priestley will also be competing at the Melbourne Royal (her first World Cup start in September), Sydney Jump Club Spring Championships (October), NSW state titles (October) and Australian titles (November).
She is hoping all of these act as a springboard to potentially securing a spot on her first Olympic Games team in the future.
"To be honest, I am a bit underdone for Tokyo 2020 however Paris 2024 is firmly set in my sights," she said.
"I have the horsepower coming along and each day I am working away at it as a goal."