Ella Hogan and her pony Peppa after receiving their awards for the 2025 Pony Cub Victoria State Dressage and Showjumping Championships. Photo: Supplied.
Local rider Ella Hogan enjoyed a brilliant campaign at the recent Pony Club Victoria State Dressage and Showjumping Championships as part of the North Eastern Zone team across February 22 and 23 at Tonimbuk Equestrian Centre in Bunyip North.
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Ella, 13, was named Reserve Champion in the Grade 4 Dressage Championship aboard her pony Peppa, earning 52.5 points which placed her second among the top 30 riders for her grade in the state.
But Ella wasn’t finished there, as she won the Grade 4 Dressage Teams Championship alongside Chloe Froude from Euroa Pony Club and Olivia Cleave from Shepparton Pony Club, earning a combined total of 128 points to take the title ahead of the West Gippsland Zone team.
The success is a culmination of a full season of competition from Ella, with selection to the North Eastern Zone team for the championships based on the results from the year-long North Eastern Dressage and Showjumping Series (NEDSS), with only the top three riders in dressage and the top four riders in show jumping at the end of the season selected for the Pony Club Victoria State event.
Ella and Peppa compete in the Grade 4 dressage event.
Carli Hogan, Ella’s mum, said Ella’s recent accomplishments came as a result of the hard work she had put in to get her pony ready to compete at the level.
“Ella has been riding since she was in prep, so about six or seven,” Carli said.
“This was her first dressage state event that she's attended, and her pony that she was riding on is a pony that hasn't been broken in for very long.
“Ella has had her for about 18 months, so she's done a lot of work with her to get her up and going. She's done a great job, she's worked really hard and with great results, really.
“You couldn't really ask for more in a 12-month period of competing, making it to state and then placing second, which is out of the 30 top riders in the state, that's pretty impressive.”
Capping off her recent success, Ella was a part of the Cathedral College Wangaratta team that was crowned Champion School at the Scots Equestrian Interschool Challenge less than a week after her state success.
Having secured sponsorship from the Benalla Racing Club for the 2025 season, Ella, who now rides for Moyhu Pony Club, is eyeing off even bigger competitions later this year.
“There is a Pony Club national event (the Pony Club Australia National Championships), but you have to apply for a position,” Carli said.
“You have to put an expression of interest to be on the national team, and they do a selection of your history of riding, so your past achievements over the last 12 months, so (Ella) will try for that also.”
