Carl, who is 16 and in year 12 at Dubbo Senior Campus, was in the final two competing against Vicki Roycroft, a name synonymous with Australian show jumping.

While he was defending the title he won at last year’s show, a clipped rail in the next-to-last jump, and a clear run by Ms Roycroft saw the sash go to this year’s Royal Easter Show winner.

The six-bar is a series of jumps, just two strides (for the horse) apart and, as the competition advances, the rails rise higher. It is a competition requiring cool thinking, balance and trust between horse and rider.

“It’s a big job when the rail gets to 1.6 metres high,” Carl said.

Riding Kermington Casper, a Warmblood horse he and his mother bought in a “dogger” sale for just $500, Carl has built a four-year partnership with Casper and has just moved from D to C grade.

Carl’s mother Tracee, said he’d been riding in pony club events since he was a two-year-old.

He has represented NSW in pony club and came fourth in the national championships and was the leading NSW point-scorer.

Carl and Tracee clock up plenty of miles in their horse truck, and while Carl has his P-plates, he is still too young to drive the truck.

Earlier this year they went to a week-long camp at Cooma where Carl was named the D-grade champion.

“I’ve always said to Carl, if he was willing to put in the time and effort I would cart him around,” Tracee said.