She thought to herself, "Oh my god, he's so big, he's even too big for me!"

But there must have been something about Hollands Bend Highlander even then that appealed to the Table Top rider and coach - well, that and the fact "he wasn't expensive".

The early days with 'H', as he is affectionately known, were not easy, says Jodie, who has trained dressage horses professionally for more than 30 years.

"He had a lot of energy and was a bit stupid to go with it," she laughs.

"He used to run the fences - he was a shocker."

In fact, Jodie reveals, it's a good thing her husband Peter is a pretty handy welder and fabricator becaue H "gets himself into a lot of trouble".

"He's a big idiot and he loves wrecking things," she says.

"He's like a bull in a china shop!"

From a training perspective H was also "difficult" as a young horse.

"I used to lunge him a lot ... I was definitely going to sell him," Jodie reveals.

But "lifelong" trainer Di Jenkyn urged her to persist with him.

"He never did very well as a preliminary/novice horse; but he started to do well in elementary when the training kicked in."

Jodie and H started consistently gaining scores over 70 per cent but hit another bump at the next level.

"Flying changes were an issue when we first went to medium," she says.

"He was not real confident and we didn't do a lot in medium.

"By the time I put him in Advanced, he was more secure and the judges seemed to love him from there."

From there the pair sailed to FEI (international standard) competition and have been almost unstoppable in a very short space of time.

At their home ground of Albury at the end of 2021, H and Jodie claimed the FEI medium tour title at the JEA championships.

Only months later, they did the same thing again at the 2022 Boneo Summer CDI championships and Jodie, at 57, decided it was time to realise one of her dreams to ride at the stunningly appointed Willinga Park at Bawley Point, NSW.

Owned by billionaire Terry Snow, the $100 million architecturally designed equestrian complex features state-of-the-art arenas, yards and stables, restaurant, pool, art installations and lavish gardens (complete with a waterfall!).

"It's such a beautiful place that everybody talks about," Jodie enthuses.

"It was so exciting to go; it's stunning and everywhere you look, it's like being at a resort."

But such an environment can be very intimidating for horses (and their riders) with plenty of strange things to spook at.

"It was such a build-up to keep him safe and fit to get there; and I didn't know how he would go," Jodie says.

"But I thought if he's going to be a big-time horse, he has to learn to go to big-time events."

H's debut at the star-studded Dressage By the Sea in February was to prove a "career highlight" for Jodie.

The mighty 17.3hh horse rose to the occasion, winning the Inter B test, and second in both the Inter A and medium tour freestlye - their first dance together to music.

"He just felt sensational; the Inter B was one of the best tests I've ever ridden in my life," Jodie says.

"His breeder (Jane Bartram) was there taking pics; there were lots of tears and hugs.

"It felt like I was at the Olympics."

It's a rare thing to find a horse with the talent and mental attitude to go to the highest levels, rarer still to find one that is also a great competitor.

"To find a horse that has all those things is a dream come true," Jodie says.

Jodie believes their sucess comes from a combination of training and H's larger-than-life presence, regularity of paces and powerful, uphill way of going.

And this veteran horse woman should know.

As a "huge supporter" of the sport, she wears three hats - rider, coach and judge.

"I think that combination works well because you get to understand the sport from every angle," she explains.

Ribbons and road trips aside, it's the day-to-day work with the horses in the quiet of her arena at home that Jodie relishes the most.

"I love seeing them become more beautiful, and turn into real athletes, with the training," she says.

"I'm as keen about the young ones as I am about H."

And indeed Jodie's next rising star - 5-year-old mare Cooramin Furstenblume - claimed a blue ribbon in her very first dressage test at Wagga last Sunday.

She's certainly got some big shoes to fill.