Three dedicated adult riders from across Australia have been named finalists for the 2026 Best Achievement by a Rider aged over 25 Years Award, proudly sponsored by Equinade.
This award recognises adult members who continue to make the most of everything Pony Club has to offer. It considers their participation in rallies and activities, enthusiasm for developing their riding and horse management, and their understanding and application of the Pony Club Australia Syllabus of Instruction.
This year’s finalists are competitors, coaches, committee members, mentors and volunteers. Each continues to develop their own skills while also giving back to their clubs, encouraging other riders and helping create opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy Pony Club.
Debbie Fraser
Port Lincoln Pony Club, South Australia
Debbie Fraser first became involved in Pony Club at 13 and, after time away, returned seven years ago with her own young children.
Since then she has thrown herself back into club life, helping with rally set-up and pack-up, coaching, planning activities and supporting competitions. She has served on the Port Lincoln Pony Club committee for the past five years and is now in her third year as President.
This year also brought a significant personal riding achievement. After around 30 years away from One Day Eventing, Debbie returned to the discipline and went on to win the 2026 State One Day Event Championships at Grade 5.
What began as an opportunity to revisit something she had enjoyed as a teenager also helped encourage other riders at her club to give eventing a try. After Debbie travelled as Port Lincoln’s sole representative at an event last year, the club returned this year with eight riders and nine horses.
For a regional club, simply getting to these events is a major undertaking. Debbie notes that the nearest events can involve a five-hour drive, while reaching the State Championships required a nine-hour journey each way. She has also helped fundraise to support club riders travelling to State competition.
Debbie continues to develop her own knowledge through lessons and is now working towards her Preliminary Coaching Certificate and K Certificate. She also encourages riders of all ages to work through Pony Club achievement strips and proficiency certificates, incorporating elements of the syllabus into club rallies.
Her focus is on making Pony Club enjoyable and inclusive while exposing riders to a broad range of experiences, including introducing activities such as a controlled mock hunt with support from members of the local hunt club.
Anne Lyell
Londonderry Pony Club, NSW
Anne Lyell is a familiar presence at Londonderry Pony Club, although she often spends more time helping other riders than riding herself.
With a particular passion for jumping and eventing, Anne is heavily involved in coaching, mentoring and supporting members and has become central to Londonderry’s Transition Rider program, helping riders build the confidence and skills needed to progress into Open competition.
Her contribution has been so significant that the club has named its Transition Horsemanship Trophy in her honour.
Anne continues to pursue her own goals as a rider and achieved a major milestone at the 2025 Pony Club Australia National Championships, where she became the Masters Eventing National Champion.
While NSW does not currently offer Masters competition at State level, Anne remains heavily involved at State Championships as a Team Manager and Coach. This year she also played an important role in building participation in Mounted Games, helping Londonderry field four junior teams at the State Championships.
Her influence is particularly evident in the way she develops other riders. Anne is described as calm, patient and encouraging, with a strong understanding of riding, horse management and safety. She places particular importance on riders becoming knowledgeable horse people who prioritise the welfare of their horses.
At rallies she can often be found coaching, answering questions, helping members around the cross-country course or finding ways to give riders the confidence to try something new.
Her own National Championship success reflects the same commitment to continual learning and improvement that she encourages in others.
Tamara Jacobson
Huon District Pony Club, Tasmania
Tamara Jacobson’s Pony Club journey began at Huon Pony Club in 2000 and has now come full circle as an adult rider, parent, coach and club leader.
As a young rider, Tam competed across Team of Three, showing, dressage, jumping and Mounted Games, developing a succession of all-round Pony Club mounts before ageing out at 25.
She returned as an adult rider around three years ago and now attends regular Huon rallies alongside her son Phelix, with two of her three sons also Pony Club members.
Tam is an accredited gear checker and volunteer coach and contributes extensively to rally planning, event organisation and club administration. This year she coordinated Huon’s Games teams, including coaching riders, organising training sessions and forming teams.
She also represents Huon in dressage, showjumping and One Day Events and has actively encouraged other adult riders to return to Pony Club through the Masters pathway.
Tam has been a strong advocate for Masters participation and welcomed the inclusion of Masters riders in the 2026 Pony Club Tasmania State Championships, opening a pathway for Tasmanian adult riders to qualify for Nationals.
Her own progress with Tara Glen Aragorn, known as Robbie, has been one of the highlights of her year. As a relatively new combination, they progressed from tentative 60cm showjumping rounds to confident 90cm rounds, established themselves in dressage and developed confidence across cross-country.
Tam’s greatest achievement this year was competing as a Master at the Pony Club Tasmania State Trials, her first-ever Trials competition. The pair also contested the State Dressage and Showjumping Championships.
Alongside her riding, Tam continues to build her knowledge through regular lessons and training days and is working towards her C* and K Certificates, with plans to begin her Preliminary Coaching qualification.
Her current roles include Assistant District Commissioner at Huon, Southern Zone Committee member, member of the Pony Club Tasmania Trials Committee and 2027 Championships Committee, Games coordinator and coach, and organiser of club events and training opportunities.
Whether coaching, helping riders warm up, maintaining grounds, organising competitions or sharing her horses with younger riders so they can learn, Tam’s involvement reflects a strong commitment to both her own development and the wider Pony Club community.
The 2026 Best Achievement by a Rider aged over 25 Years Award is proudly sponsored by Equinade.
The winner will be announced during the 2026 Pony Club Australia Annual Awards Virtual Presentation on Thursday, 22 October.
