Yandina & District Pony Club members are ready to go at the 2025 PCA Nationals. Image by Yandina & District Pony Club.
A team of five Yandina & District Pony Club riders are gearing up for their first Pony Club Australia National Championships at Werribee Park, Victoria, showcasing dedication, skill, and passion across eventing, show jumping, dressage, tetrathlon, and quiz.
For more than two decades, Yandina & District Pony Club has been a hub for equestrian families on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. What began as a small gathering of local families has grown into a thriving club with around 120 members, offering opportunities for riders of all ages and abilities.
Yandina Pony Club’s PCA Nationals team: Jaida Trama, Amali Trama, Finn Pilcher, Iris Jenkins, and Birdie Pilcher.
In the first week of October, Yandina & District Pony Club is preparing for one of its biggest adventures yet: taking a team of five riders to the Pony Club Australia (PCA) National Championships at Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre in Victoria. Unlike regular competitions, this trip involves significant planning and logistics, much of which has been handed over to the riders themselves.
“The kids are planning the journey,” says Chief Instructor and Vice President Tarryn Jenkins. “They’re working out where to stop with the horses, how to split up the travel, and how much feed, water, and hay the horses will need. It’s a huge learning experience and something quite different to going to a normal event.”
The Yandina team members — Finn and Birdie Pilcher, Jaida and Amali Trama, and Iris Jenkins — are part of a wider 30-strong Queensland team making the journey south.
Finn Pilcher: Eventing & Tetrathlon
At just 13 years old, Finn Pilcher has already packed plenty of experience into her equestrian journey, having been part of Pony Club for around eight years. Finn is gearing up for her first PCA Nationals, competing in both eventing and tetrathlon on Maxi, her mum’s seven-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred (OTT). Her own horse, Jabbarwocky, is recovering from a suspensory operation. “I am very lucky that my mum has let me ride her horse,” Finn says.
Finn Pilcher, pictured here with her horse Jabbarwocky. Image supplied.
Yandina was the first club in its region to introduce tetrathlon, a discipline designed to promote well-rounded riders by incorporating running, swimming, shooting, and riding. “You have to be as fit as your horse,” Tarryn explains. “You can’t expect your horse to carry you around a course if you can’t run yourself!”
Although Finn has been involved in tetrathlon for only about a year and a half, she has embraced it wholeheartedly. Her passion for eventing also shines through, especially when it comes to cross country: “It’s fast, fun, and exhilarating. The fact of jumping jumps fast and at high speed got me immediately hooked.”
Before heading off to Nationals, Finn acknowledges her support team: “A massive thank you to the supporters, parents and friends of the Yandina Pony Club for the limitless effort and endless amount of time they put in for us kids to do what we love.”
Birdie Pilcher: Eventing & Tetrathlon
Eleven-year-old Birdie Pilcher has been part of Pony Club since she was five and is also competing at her first PCA Nationals on her 12-year-old Australian Stock Horse gelding, Kracker Jax. “He’s an amazing schoolmaster, I feel very safe on him, I trust him, because he’s super brave. But I still need to be there for him,” Birdie explains.
“I trust him, because
he’s super brave..”
Birdie became involved in tetrathlon a couple of years ago after a Sunshine Coast Pony Club event and has competed a few times each year since. Like her brother, Birdie’s favourite eventing phase is cross country. “It’s really fun, it’s free and fast. I don’t feel the pressure in cross country, like show jumping and dressage,” she explains.
Jaida Trama: Show Jumping & Eventing
At 11, Jaida Trama has been part of Pony Club since she was just three. She will compete at Nationals on Bing, her 15-year-old OTT. “He is very sweet and looks after me amazingly,” she says.
Jaida has been competing at State-level events since she was eight, and her favourite eventing phase is also cross country. “It’s fun, I get to go faster out in the open and I think Bing loves it too!”
Jaida draws inspiration from top-level eventing athletes, naming Shane Rose as a rider she admires. “I am lucky that I have met him twice now!”
She is most excited about riding and spending time with friends at Nationals.
“I think Bing loves it too!”
Amali Trama and Gwennie. Image by Oz Shotz Photography.
Amali Trama: Show Jumping & Eventing
Sixteen-year-old Amali Trama has been involved in Pony Club since she was four and will ride Gwennie, her eight-year-old Welsh x Thoroughbred. She describes her horse as “an absolute pocket rocket” despite a few quirks.
Although this is her first time competing at Nationals, Amali has participated in State events since she was ten. She is another who simply loves cross country: “The adrenaline rush I get is phenomenal. It’s such a powerful feeling that Gwennie gives me, there is nothing like it.”
Amali admires international riders like British eventer Laura Collett and Aussie show jumper Edwina Tops-Alexander. “Laura Collett from the UK is amazing, and Edwina Tops-Alexander show jumps like a boss!”
Looking forward to Nationals, she is excited about both the competition and the experience. “The overall experience and the chance to represent my club and state in something completely new to me.”
Iris Jenkins: Dressage & Quiz
Twelve-year-old Iris Jenkins has been part of Yandina Pony Club since she was just two, competing locally from that age and at State level since she was seven.
Iris will compete in dressage at Nationals with her 12-year-old OTT mare, Stellar. “I have been riding her for the last 18 months. Stellar has a very calm, relaxed nature and is fun to do anything with, she is the best! Her favourite thing to do is swim in the dam and roll in muddy puddles,” Iris says. Stellar is of course grey.
Iris Jenkins and Stellar. Image supplied.
“I love riding dressage because it’s super fun! Stellar is really good at it too. Dressage helps me focus and think about what I’m doing, which makes me a better rider. I am always learning something new,” she explains.
Iris is also part of the junior Quiz team, an unmounted Pony Club discipline with classroom questions, a ‘mega room’ phase, and a written test.
She admires Olympian Kevin McNab and is most excited about the adventure of Nationals. “It’s going to be an amazing adventure travelling and competing with my special horse, wonderful family and great horsey friends from all over the country!”
YANDINA: A CLUB ON THE RISE
Tarryn Jenkins has been involved with Yandina Pony Club for the past decade and is proud of the club’s direction. “For us in our club, we’ve always put the horse first, but I think the new syllabus [the 2019 PCA syllabus, revised with input from Andrew McLean] really supported what we were already thinking and what we wanted our riders to be. It’s been really fabulous to see the mindset shift and to watch newer riders start out with that as their foundation.”
The club recently relocated from five acres of wet ground to a new 60-acre property. With support from the Queensland government’s ‘Play Your Way’ grant, just under $1.5 million is being invested into sand arenas, lighting, and security infrastructure. Yandina is also applying for a $100,000 grant to develop a cross-country course.
With many Yandina members clearly cross country fans, it will no doubt be a popular development!
“The potential is just huge,” Tarryn says. “We have such fabulous members who are keen and dedicated. I feel like we’re at a pivotal point where the club is just going to explode.”
Yandina Pony Club isn’t just about competition — it’s also about connection. Monthly rally days, special programs for both adults and kids, and social sessions foster a sense of community among members of all ages.
“The Yandina team has worked so hard toward their Nationals goal,” reflects Tarryn. “As Chief Instructor, it’s been really rewarding to watch them set those goals and put in the work. That’s what Pony Club is all about — growth, teamwork, and love for the horse.” EQ
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