A girl and her horse

“Leaving for Boarding school was one thing, but the idea of leaving my horses was a whole other level,” Liberty says.

“I was lucky to be able to bring my horses to Toowoomba. It really meant a lot when I first started Boarding, particularly because I was a bit homesick to begin with. It really helped to have my animals here. Equestrian has really helped me feel at home at school and I am so grateful to the whole Fairholme Equestrian community.”

Liberty, who is the 2022 Fairholme Equestrian Captain and a keen showjumper, grew up on a cattle property in central Queensland with camp-drafting parents. “We were never really a showjumping family. My parents are big camp drafters, and also musterers – the disciplines are all very different,” Liberty explains.

“I’ve been riding since I was three years old, but I didn’t start showjumping until I came to Fairholme.

“One holidays, my parents bought me a cheap saddle and I put it on my quarter horse and I jumped around a bit at home, and I loved it. Eventually my parents realised I was serious about showjumping.

“I love everything about it. I love being on the back of the horse, the technical side of the sport and the adrenaline rush of competing.”

Last year, the Fairholme Equestrian team took out the Lorette Wigan Cup Interschool Champion Equestrian Secondary School. It was the first time Fairholme has won the coveted trophy. 

Under Liberty’s leadership this year, the team are hoping to go back-to-back. “We have a fantastic team who are all really competitive. Our goal is to get that trophy again.”

But to get that trophy, Liberty says it involves a team of coaches and supporters and a whole lot of passion.

“We are lucky to have passionate coaches who come out every week to train us, watch our riding lessons, help us with out positions and check on how our horses are faring.

“And then we have the whole Fairholme Equestrian team who are all so encouraging and supportive and friendly. It really is a great community who want to help others learn this fantastic sport.”

But it’s the unwavering support of her parents which means the most to her. “I absolutely wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of mum and dad. They bring my horses down every term – they have supported me so much that they haven’t been able to do their camp drafting. I can’t even begin to explain how grateful I am to them.”

Being in her last year of school, Liberty has started thinking about what her path outside of school is going to look like. One thing is for sure – it will involve horses. “I’m hoping to have six months off and be with my horses and to continue to work with my trainer. Horses will always be part of my life.”



It might surprise people to know that fashion is also on Liberty’s radar. “It’s very different to equestrian, but I’m actually wanting to make an equestrian fashion label – it combines my two passions.”