Jake jumps to top state award

Local rider Jake Tomlinson's hard work and dedication to his horses and showjumping has been recognised at the 2026 Equestrian NSW awards night where he was named junior jumping rider of the year for 2025. The award acknowledged the outstanding record Jake has built riding Bellhaven Boom Boom, with Equestrian NSW noting the pair's strong placings at Sydney Royal and other top-level competitions. "Jake's steady rise through the ranks reflects genuine hard work and effort, marking him as an outstanding young rider in Australian showjumping," the award citation said. Jake said it feels pretty good to get this award, with the hard work on the course and behind the scene having paid off. Jake said he would also like to thank his parents and everyone who helps him outside of the show ring for their support. Over the past year, Jake has campaigned a number of warmblood horses at competitions across the state, including veteran Vincenzo, better known as Vinnie, Brooke, and Hallie, a mare he has been developing for several years who has stepped up to deliver strong results. "She's got real competitive at it," he said. "Every time we seem to go into competition she is getting better and better." The highlight came at Nowra on September 19-20, where Jake and Hallie claimed the NSW Country Jumping Championship for a second straight year. He said winning the championship again was especially rewarding given Hallie had carried him to both titles. Along with enjoying the action of working with the horses to get good jumps, Jake said he enjoys showjumping as the people involved in the sport are really supportive. Outside of the ring, Jake works with his horses to get them ready to compete, with a focus on getting them fit. "The main thing is fitness. If they are super fit they will try super hard for you and won't give up," he said. Beyond fitness, Jake said making sure the horses are not sore and enjoying their work is also an important part of their training. "If they like doing it [jumping], they'll help you out a lot more than if you're just making them do it," he said. Jake said you can see which horses like to compete in showjumping as they are having fun out in the ring and are always wanting to go towards the jumps. The competition circuit continues with Jake taking a couple of up-and-coming horses to the Canberra Classic on the first weekend of October, and four experienced horses to Tamworth the weekend after.