mmg.com.au

A teenage pony club member who died in a horse riding accident has been remembered as a modest yet determined young woman.

Taylor Jade Farley, 16, died after a horse fall at Oxley Recreation Reserve near Wangaratta on Saturday, February 11.

The Shepparton Pony club level one rider’s family has described her as modest and determined, with an honest heart.

‘‘She would break into a cheeky grin when she spoke about her horses,’’ her father Neil Farley said.

‘‘And mostly she would sit quiet and just listen.’’

Her mother Belinda said Taylor was introduced to the horse world when she was a toddler.

By age five she was a Shepparton Pony Club member and later an Equestrian Victoria Young Dressage Squad member and Northern Victorian Show Jumping Club member.

‘‘Next thing we knew she wanted a different, better horse,’’ Mrs Farley said.

‘‘She was stubborn and always liked a challenge.

‘‘She never had an easy horse.

‘‘She was a perfectionist and that’s what got her through with these stubborn horses.’’

Taylor’s biggest riding achievements were winning the Pony Club Victoria State Horse Trials in grade two riding Mr Apples and winning the junior novice horse award with Jaffa In A Box at last year’s HAMAG Australian Young Rider Dressage Championship.

Taylor was recently training for the Victorian Dressage Championships, qualifying on two horses.

Her goal this year was to ride at the Equestrian Australia Melbourne three-day event at one star level.

‘‘One star level is the first step towards the Olympics; she was certainly on track,’’ Mrs Farley said.

Taylor attended Kialla Central Primary School and Notre Dame College, played basketball for Shepparton Demons and enjoyed the bush and camping.

Her funeral was held last Friday at St Brendan’s Catholic Church in Knight St, Shepparton followed by a burial at Numurkah Cemetery.