Their crowning as champions was a result of being the most successful showjumper-and-horse combination (for riders 40 years or older) in ring two at the 2016 Canberra Cup across two weekends.

Townsend said the win came as a shock.

“I was very surprised, I had no idea,” she said.

“I got a phone call from the president and he said ‘you’ve won the masters plate’ and I said ‘get out of here, get out of town’.”

She said she was surprised because it is rare for competitors to win with only one horse—she and Marley have been together for more than four years.

“To win with only one horse, it’s a pretty big achievement. A lot of people have multiple horses—like a truckful of horses,” she said.

Having ridden horses all her life and guiding her children through years of riding, Townsend took up eventing in 2009 having never competed in this discipline before.

From this, she learnt the art of dressage, showjumping and cross-country riding for the first time. 

“I’ve ​been riding at the club [Murrumbateman Adult Riding Club] for a long time, but I haven’t won much before. Because the Canberra Cup is based on speed, I’ve always been careful and slow. But this year, I decided to try to go faster so I’m doing alright now,” she said.

Townsend credited a successful 2015, where she received the most successful local showjumper at the Murrumbateman club, which spurred her into achieving more.

She said it is also the many hours fine-tuning their skills to ensure they are ready for the lessons, clinics and competitions they attend.