For boarding student Isabella Rasheed camp drafting competitions are a family affair.
The youngest of four siblings, Isabella caught the camp drafting bug at around age four and has been competing ever since.
“That was when I competed in my first mini on a little Shetland pony going as fast as I possibly could,” Isabella said.
This year, however, she competed in several events, including the Juvenile, Maiden, Ladies and Open competitions.
While her pony may have grown in stature, so too has the competition rivalry, with Isabella competing alongside her two older brothers and sister as well as her mum and dad.
“It’s always fun to try and beat them!” Isabella said.
While camp drafting is a sport she has been mastering since she was young, more recently Isabella has had the opportunity to try new sports and develop her skills as a boarder at St Margaret's.
“I started boarding at St Margaret’s in Year 7, and what I value most about my experience so far is the boarding community. I appreciate always having friends around to talk to, and I am very close with our house mothers, who are caring and supportive and have become great friends also,” Isabella said.
“The community in boarding is diverse, made up of students from all over Australia and overseas, which really helps us all to understand and appreciate different backgrounds and ways of life.”
Aside from her academic studies, Isabella has tried her hand at various sports, including touch football, rowing and netball.
The Year 10 student aspires to one day study either vet science or nursing and is setting herself on this path through the school’s careers development program, which is giving her the opportunity to gain a Certificate in Health and Community Services while at school.
This story was first published in the Katherine Times.