Young Rider: Dakota Rawson-Harris

YOUNG RIDER

Reining it in

With her sights set on the 2023 Run for a Million reining show in Las Vegas, Dakota Rawson-Harris is determined to qualify, writes SUZY JARRATT.

Her very first ride was on the back of a cow. She was four months old. Later she graduated to pigs, sheep and ponies. “I began riding before I could walk,” says Dakota Rawson-Harris. “Dad would sit me in front of him when he rode. I had my first pony, Peewee, for my second birthday.”

It was inevitable she would fall in love with horses. Her parents Sarah and Cody, both professional animal trainers, have ridden all their lives. “In the past I did Pony Club, hacking and dressage,” explains the 14-year-old from Samaria in rural Victoria. But in recent years Dakota has been making her mark in reining events.

She was attracted to the sport because of her mum. “She’d take me to events along with my Quarter Horse Annlee Tom Thumb. I rode him for ten years. He’s now twenty and a one-in-a-million. My main show horse is Mississippi’s Destiny, a.k.a. Wheats. He’s nine and Mum trained and showed him before handing him to me three years ago.”

After practicing in the show pen for a couple of years, Dakota began to ride Wheats in youth classes: “I love the horsemanship and the great people in reining. Also, I’m very competitive so having good horses to show is awesome!” And there’s another great horse waiting in the wings. “He’s Wheats full brother Destined to be Stylish, we call him Oats. He’s four. Mum will work him for his first year and then I’ll have him.”

Dakota realises competition horses from whatever discipline require regular work to be successful, and their riders must be determined and committed. “Serious training began in 2019 when Mum handed Wheats over to me. Some days I just didn’t feel like it but I knew if I didn’t train, I didn’t show. So I’d put on my earphones and go off to ride on the arena, either before or after school. And every night I’d make sure he was back in a clean stable.”

Like all competitive equestrians, Dakota was sidelined by the pandemic for many months - but she did get to the 2021 Buckle-Up and Slide Spectacular in Tatura. “It’s one of Victoria’s biggest reining shows,” she explains, “and Wheats and I won the Rookie L1 and

Rookie L2 on a score of 140.5. Then we

took out the Youth Championship on a score of 142.”

She had more success at the Green

Reiner shoot-out several months later.

“The top twenty show season riders of all ages are given the opportunity to run against each other. And Wheats and I won the championship title!”

It was an exciting finish to Dakota’s year, and she owes much of this success

to her parents: “Mum inspires me to reach for my dreams, and Dad keeps the balance by encouraging me to ride motorbikes and show jumpers.”

And there are some exciting goals: this year she’s applying for selection to the NRHA to represent Australia at the Youth World Cup in Italy in November; next year it’s to qualify with Oats and then compete at the 2023 Run for a Million reining show in Las Vegas. “I’d also like to ride more show jumpers this year and compete in some events here,” she adds.

While Dakota is uncertain about the

career she will embrace after leaving school, she won’t be following in her parents’ footsteps and training animals for film and TV. But she is attracted

to another aspect of show business: “I’d quite like to be an actor, although I’m also interested in becoming a detective – I’m very keen on true crime movies. But right now my greatest aim is competing in America at the biggest, richest show in the history of reining,” she adds.

FACING PAGE: Dakota and Wheats at the 2021 GVRHA Genetically Gifted Buckle Up & Slide Reining Spectacular. TOP: A spectacular sliding stop with Mississippi’s Destiny in competition last year. BOTTOM: Dakota, then just 11 years old, showing great promise at the 2018 Buckle Up & Slide Reining Spectacular. All images by Ev Lagoon Photography.