Chris Giles is a young man from Ballarat who has a knack for training horses.

He’s been working with them ever since giving school “the boot” at age 15.

His years of experience since then are currently being put to the test in Melbourne, where Mr Giles is competing in the Australian Brumby Challenge at Equitana, a huge equine event held at Melbourne Show Grounds each year.

The Australian Brumby Challenge attracts horse trainers, both professional and unprofessional) from across Australia. Each competitor has been partnered with a wild brumby for 150 days and now, at the finale, they will showcase what their newly broken-in horses can do.

There are a number of displays or challenges presented to the audience, including a dressage-style pattern class and an obstacle course.

However, the novelty highlight would have to be the freestyle class, where brumbies perform to a music track with their trainers. The trainer can choose any kind of routine and tricks for the horse to perform. Picture figure skating, but with six legs, oversized props and no ice skates. Even though Mr Giles only met his horse, VBA Tallara, 100 days ago, he said he had an incredible performance in store for the audience.

“I’m going to ride in holding a 16-foot-long flag above the horse, dragging a big tarp,” he said.

“I’ll drop the tarp off, canter around, stand up on the saddle and wave the flag, slide down on to her rump, pull the saddle off, then ride around with just a rope around her neck.”