But that could change after Steph won yesterday's junior cattlemen's competition at the annual Mountain Cattlemen's Association Get-Together, at Windfalls, near Campbell Town, and Will finished third.

Mum Suzie said that Will sold his pony last year, but had to borrow it back for the competition when his new horse went lame.

``This was Steph's first year in the championships - Will was second last year,'' Mrs Jones said.

``They're both in the Midlands Pony Club and both do polo cross, but Steph does eventing too.

``Steph wasn't going to enter the championship until Aiden (Nunn) convinced her to, on Friday night.''

Steph agreed it was ``pretty cool'' to go from not wanting to enter a competition to winning it in less than 24 hours.

She said that the cattle handling was the hardest of the disciplines in the competition and the stockhorse race was the most fun.

Mrs Jones said that she was ``very impartial'' and did not support either one of her children more than the other.

``I'd never do that,'' Mrs Jones said. ``But I was hoping that Will would get over the jumps (in the stockhorse race) and everything would be fine - he did.''

Aidan Nunn claimed his second open competition win in a hard-fought event that included cattle handling, handy stockhorse competition and a stockhorse race in which one rider fell heavily and was taken to hospital with neck and shoulder injuries.

Mrs Jones said that Mr Nunn had more than a passing interest in the junior competition because he took Will for regular riding lessons.

The get-together concludes today with the traditional trail ride.