Sport
13 October, 2025
Sudholz rides to national championship
Teenager Iris Sudholz has capped off a spectacular week for Horsham at the 2025 Pony Club Australia National Championships, winning the open eventing competition.
Along with Sudholz, Horsham Pony Club was represented by Asha and Kylie Fiedler.
Asha finished seventh in the junior novice dressage competition and Kylie took out the open advanced dressage.
Riding her mare River, Sudholz said she was stoked with the national title, saying she knew a strong performance would give them a good chance of a top-place finish.
“It’s a very good achievement,” Sudholz said.
“I knew we could pull it off if we put together our best performance.
“With all the hard work and training for it, I knew we could do it.”
Eventing is a three-phase event that consists of dressage, cross country and showjumping.
A strong performance in the cross country gave Sudholz the lead before she managed to hold on to take the victory.
“I was sitting in second after the dressage stage, and then I moved into first place after the cross country,” Sudholz said.
“I was able to keep the lead through the showjumping.”
The 16-year-old first became involved in eventing when she joined Horsham Pony Club almost 10 years ago.
Sudholz says she now aims to progress to the open two-star level of eventing, having taken out open one-star at nationals.
“My horses go on a break now but I’m hoping to step it up to two-star, which is the next level above what I’m competing on with my mare that I won on,” Sudholz said.
Iris’s mother, and president of Horsham Pony Club, Emelia Sudholz, said it was a great experience for the Horsham riders.
“The girls had done a lot of work to get where they did,” Sudholz said.
“This wasn’t a local or state championship; it was obviously another level.
“It was amazing, and even just meeting kids from other states, it was a really nice experience from that side of it, too.
Sudholz said pony clubs provided children and adults with education on working with horses, acting as a foundation for all other equestrian sports.
“Pony club is an education,” Sudholz said.
“It’s the only thing of its kind now involving teaching children and adults on how to work with horses."
Anyone interested in Horsham Pony Club can follow its Facebook page.
