Fifteen-year-old Michaela McFarland from Ederney and her American miniature horse, 'Hailstone Sheer Envy' have been crowned the All Ireland Irish Miniature Horse Register (IMHR) Champions for 2007.
The duo are now on their way to the prestigious Miniature Horse of the Year Show, to be staged at Arena UK in Grantham, England by the International Miniature Horse and Pony Society at the end of the month.
The prestigious accolade and subsequent UK qualification came about after Michaela, a self-confessed pony lover since she was a child, entered her horse, 'Hailstone Sheer Envy' for the Newry qualifier show in June.
In winning, she fulfilled her ambition to qualify and participate in the All-Ireland IMHR Championship in Moate, Co. Meath on 25th August.
"Her main ambition for this year", her mother Siobhan explained "was to qualify for the All-Ireland but to go on and win, Michaela couldn't believe it," .
In winning the prize under the category 'Yearling colt or filly' (32" and under), Michaela received a rug, trophy rosette and 50 euro prize money as well as a 100 euro voucher to be redeemed at a feed merchant's.
For those not up to speed with miniature horses, the main aim of breeding them is to produce the 'ideal horse, in miniature'.
The objective is to have a small, sound horse that is strong, agile and with a good disposition and above all, excellent conformation.
"A miniature horse", a spokesman explained, "can do practically anything you can do with a large horse, with the exception of riding. 'But, it can do training, driving, showing, breeding. Miniature horses are shown in halter, in-hand hunter/jumper, obstacle, showmanship and driving classes".
He said the IMHR's aim was to give a better understanding to not only the owners of miniature horses but also to the public and, by so doing, secure their welfare and improve the quality of the breed.
Horses which excel in the show ring are eligible for entry on the IMHR Elite Register of Excellence and are recognised as being of the highest breeding/showing standard in the country.
Michaela's success is all the more meaningful knowing that the IMHR has a unique panel of judges who are not only Irish Shows Association-trained and approved conformation judges, but, they are also individually selected by the IMHR for their knowledge of miniature horses.
At the McFarland family home, there are four miniature Shetland horses but Siobhan admits that 'Hailstone Sheer Envy', an American miniature, is something special.
"The UK competition", she admitted, " will be stiff because they're are all American bred over in England. Hailstone Sheer Envy's father was in the top ten for halter, driving and performance and won his class in 2004.
His mother won her class in the Horse of the Year Show also, so he's a good breed."
That said, Michaela, a fifth year student at St. Mary's College, Irvinestown puts a lot of work into preparing her horse for competition and, indeed, keeping him in good condition and so she has reaped the rewards on merit.
Whilst always having a pony from a young age, it wasn't until two years ago that Michaela started showing Shetland miniatures before progressing to 'designer' horses.
Siobhan stressed that all the work done in preparing the horse for the Shows is completed solely by Michaela.
Such work involves keeping the horse fit and swimming him, something she does twice a week at a horse pool in Omagh.
It's a daily task but one she enjoys and has subsequently paid off in full.
Come the end of the month, and the trip to the UK will task Michaela to walk Hailstone Sheer Envy to a trot before getting him to stand up properly and completing 'in-hand' showing.
Such is her passion for miniature horses that she organised and ran her own miniature horse show in Fintona on Saturday last.
There were 18 classes for various breeds and 120 horses competing in all.
The McFarland family, through the 'Herald', thank everyone who was involved and sponsored the Fintona Show
