THE Highlands certainly has plenty of talented equestrian riders, with several qualifying for this year's Interschool Nationals.

The Interschool Nationals will be held in Melbourne at Werribee Equestrian Centre from September 29 to October 3.

Each state puts forward a team of its best riders to compete for national individual championships and state championships.

To qualify for the NSW Interschool state team and compete at the Interschool Nationals riders must firstly compete at the NSW state Inter-School Championships and place in the top of their field in order to be considered.

Interschools runs competitions in showing, rider class, dressage, show jumping, eventing and combined training.

This brings together the equestrian disciplines and school spirit where riders compete as individuals and as school teams.

This year Gib Gate won champion primary school for NSW.

Frensham, Oxley College, and Tudor House also placed highly among more than 30 other schools.

From Oxley College Ben Quirico (16) rode Flying Tomato (9) a chestnut, thoroughbred.

Quirico qualified for the 1.20m showjumping at nationals.

He is trained by Annabel Armstrong at Sutton forest, Mel Parbery at Penrose and Pete Gillis at Penrose.

Amelia O'Sullivan, (13), also at Oxley, rode Donlea In The Moment, (8), a 14.1hh chestnut riding pony/saddle pony.

O'Sullivan qualified for open show horse year 12 to year seven, rider year 12 to year seven and handler year 12 to year seven.

She is trained by Danielle Govier who had also just been appointed the Inter-school NSW Nationals team show horse/hunter /working hunter/rider coach.

From Gib Gate, Elizabeth Taylor, (8), rode Boardershow Vanilla Ice, a 12.2hh, riding pony/saddle pony, part Welsh/APSB/Arabian and a Palomino.

Taylor qualified for open Show Hunter Horse year one to year six, open show hunter rider year one to year six and open show hunter handler year one to year six.

She is trained by Danielle Govier and was the NSW state champion hunter horse/rider for the primary school division.

Hunter Taylor (11) also at Gib Gate rode Willowcroft Coco Channel, a 14.1 1/2hh bay riding pony/part Arabian/saddle pony/ANSA.

He qualified for Open Show Rider year one to year six, Open Show Horse year one to year six and Open Show Horse Handler year one to year six.

Hunter is also coached by Danielle Govier and was NSW state champion Show Horse/Rider for the primary school division.

Gib Gate student Alexandra Inglis has also qualified for nationals.

Alexandra Inglis (8) from Gib Gate qualified for 80cm show jumping championships and 65 cm combined training championships on Allengreen Fyddler, a 12.3hh strawberry roan Welsh B pony gelding.

From Frensham, Madeleine Prell (17), rode Coolaroo Scamp, (7), a 16hh, chestnut Anglo Arab.

Prell and Scamp qualified and will be competing with the 1.10m Show Jump team and the One Star Eventing team at for NSW at the Interschool Nationals.

Prell has qualified and competed on the NSW team for the past three years.

Amelia Douglas (13), also from Frensham rode Buckwell Park Xpose, a 14.1hh chestnut Arabian riding pony.

Douglas qualified for the Secondary Intermediate dressage and is trained by eventing rider Annabel Armstrong from Sutton forest.

The Inglis sisters Olivia and Antoinette from Frensham also qualified. Antoinette (14) qualified with two horses.

She qualified for 90cm show jumping and one metre show jumping championships on Bimbadeen Stirling, a 13.1hh liver chestnut Australian pony gelding.

Antoinette also qualified for 95 cm preliminary Eventing Championships on Kirby Park Irish Jeorge, a 16.0hh grey Irish Sport Horse gelding.

Olivia (15) also qualified with two horses.

On Vinchenzo, a 17.0hh Bay Warm Blood gelding she qualified for 105cm Pre Novice Eventing Championships and on Coriolanus, a 16.0hh Chestnut Thoroughbred gelding she qualified for 115cm One Star Eventing (the highest level at the championships).

Another Frensham students to qualify was Olivia Barton.

Barton (14) qualified for Eventing 1 star class on Sandhills Darcy, a 16.2 HH grey thoroughbred gelding.From Tudor house Rupert Douglas, (11), rode Kendall, a Chestnut riding pony, 14.2hh.

Douglas qualified for the 80cm Primary Combined Training at Interschool Nationals. This is a dressage and show jumping competition.

He is trained by eventing rider Annabel Armstrong from Sutton forest.