For Jackie Gault, horses and horse riding has been a life long passion and during last year's Australian Masters Games, she was able to put her horse riding skills to the test, returning with four medals.

The Australian Masters Games are hosted every two years, with Jackie and her horse Valiant Koda, competing across four events in the Equestrian - Dressage events over two days from Friday, 24 October to Saturday, 25 October.

Valiant Koda, who bears the stable name Koda when not at competitions is a Percheron x Thoroughbred and stands at 16.2hh. 

On Friday Jackie and Koda and competed in two tests at the Preliminary level coming away with two gold medals.

They backed this up on Saturday, competing in two Preparatory tests, coming away with a silver and bronze.

Initially, Jackie was going to compete at the Australian Masters Games with a different horse - a young thoroughbred that was in training. However, two weeks before the event he hurt himself.

So, Jackie got Koda out of the paddock and started training her for the games, which was a big ask as the mare was semi retired and nearly 25yrs old.

Jackie said Koda officially retired at the Australian Masters Games, though the horse didn't look her age, and put in her best performance.

"Koda had done enough, and earned her retirement, coming away with four medals," she said.

Jackie said she barely remembers her last test as she was happy and grateful to be there competing,

In the short term, Jackie will continue to keep working with her young horses and aims get them out and about to local events. 

Jackie said she would like to thank her sponsors Equine Evolution and King Andrews Rider Training.

While the next Australian Masters Games are hosted in 2027, Jackie said she would love to go to the Pan Pacific Masters Games to be held at the Gold Coast in November, however the cost of such a trip is untenable.

Jackie began riding before she could walk and joked that her mother said she was born with horses on the brain.

Growing up, she attended Pony Club in Harden, her hometown. and spent school holidays mustering cattle in the Adelong Hills, on her brumby.

When she turned 14 Jackie brought a 4year old, 17hh thoroughbred named Ben to train to compete in eventing - a combination of dressage, showing jumping, cross country.

Jackie said when she was 19 she she had one of her biggest achievements to date when her horse Ben was selected to go to the Sydney Paralympics Games in 2000.

Ridden by Thomas Haller from Austria. Ben and Thomas came 4th, just missing the bronze medal by 0.03%.

In 2001 Jackie stopped riding to become a mum and wife before moving to Grenfell nearly 20 years later where she met her partner, now husband Glenn in 2019 and got back into riding.

Jackie said she talked about riding and how she missed it, so in 2020, Jackie and her husband Glenn bought two horses.

Following this she joined Gooloogong Horse Trail Riding Club, where members trail ride every month around the surrounding towns.

Jackie also joined Young Dressage Association and started competing in Dressage on Glenn's horse Koda.