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Posted by Equestrian Queensland on 19/10/2020.
Photo Credit: The Jtaime

Maleah Lang-McMahon Receives Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship

Maleah Lang-McMahon is no stranger to success in the showjumping arena with the young rider amassing a trove of accolades despite her young age. Adding to her already impressive list of achievements the 16-year-old who hails from Waterford, Queensland can now add Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SAHOF) Scholarship recipient to the list.

The Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship & Mentoring Program was created to assist the next generation of young elite Australian athletes to achieve their potential in both sport and life. The scholarship program is open each year to Australian athletes under the age of 21 and is one of the country’s most prestigious bursaries for young athletes. 

“It is a great honour to be recognised by the SAHOF. As an aspiring elite athlete I believe initiatives such as the SAHOF along with their mentoring program will be a vital tool for any young athlete, and I hope to be able to use this to further my sporting career and gain more recognition as an equestrian athlete for both myself and my sport” shares Maleah. 

Maleah is one of the most successful up and coming young riders in the country and she hopes to one day represent Australia at the Olympic and World Equestrian Games.

Showjumping is not only a passion for Maleah it is also ‘in her blood’ with both her parents having competed at the highest level of the sport themselves, a factor that further fuels her ambition. Her father Peter McMahon represented Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and her mother, Michelle Lang-McMahon, represented Australia at the 1994 World Equestrian Games at The Hague in the Netherlands.

Maleah currently has a team of five horses that she competes regularly Australia wide and is dedicated to achieving her future goals of riding internationally. Each day Maleah starts riding her horses at sunrise spending approximately six hours in the saddle before helping her family run their racing and pre-training stable which has around 200 horses at any one time.

Her dreams of winning on the world stage have been held since she was a little girl and Maleah has already taken the first steps in turning those dreams into reality, gaining international competition experience in Europe at the age of just 14. The experience has left her hungry for more and she has already started planning a return journey to the continent.

“I would really like to compete in the German Friendships next year. With the Teams League starting now I think I will only have time to go away for a short period, but I would really like to have an insight on how they train and compete,” explains Maleah.

When asked what she enjoys most about showjumping Maleah couldn’t pick just one element. “I love everything about getting in the ring and giving it my all whether it’s in the silver tour or on the young horses in the 80cm. I always try to take mum and dads horses too, just to get an extra ride somewhere!” describes Mahleah.

With determination, dedication and talent well beyond the average 16-year-old the future for Maleah Lang-McMahon looks sure to shine bright in the showjumping arena.

Awards, Honours & Achievements

  • 2020: Tamworth Young Rider Championships – 1st
  • 2020: Gatton Jumping Into Spring-Grand Prix – 5th
  • 2019: Aquis Champions Tour Junior Championships – 2nd
  • 2019: Gatton World Cup Junior Championships – 2nd
  • 2019: Willinga Park Junior Championships – 2nd
  • 2018/2019: Brisbane Royal Show – Junior Champion
  • 2018: Australian Children’s Champion
  • 2018: Willinga Park Junior Championships – 1st
  • 2018: Tamworth World Cup Junior Championship – 1st
  • 2018: Aquis Champions Tour Junior Championship – 2nd 

To find out more about the Sport Australian Hall of Fame Scholarship & Mentoring Program click here

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