Dodd has been around horses since she was four months old , and was able to ride on her own by the time she was two years old , before she learned to walk . The sport gave her a degree of independence . She started competing in 2005 , and first represented Australia in 2006 , winning her first test in England that year.In 2008 , she became the youngest @-@ ever winner of the Australian national championships . She finished first at the March 2009 inter @-@ schools cup at the St Ives Showground , and second at the 2009 Australian national championships , but her horse , Lucifer 's Dream , was injured in 2009 . In 2009 and 2010 , she searched for another horse to assist her in getting through Paralympic qualification . She won the Australian national championships again in 2011 , along with the Oceania Championships and the National Titles team events . By 2012 , she was the top @-@ ranked Australian competitor in her event and class .