The Equestrian Academy at Snowy Mountains Grammar School is punching above its weight.
Story Ken Eastwood Photo Snowy Mountains Grammar School
Five years ago, Taylah Klemm and her family decided that she would move from her local school in Pambula, on the South Coast of NSW, to board at Snowy Mountains Grammar School (SMGS), where her mother had attended high school. “It is genuinely the best decision I’ve ever made,” Taylah says.
Having just finished her year 12 exams, Taylah reflects on her time at the school of about 500 students, where she became boarding captain and deeply involved in the equestrian academy. “Everyone is just close – everyone knows everyone, and it’s not cliquey.”
She got to experience the new boarding facilities, which have doubled boarding capacity to 104 students, and include a girls’ area with ensuite bathrooms and a sumptuous view over Lake Jindabyne. There is also a newly created space for boy and girl boarders to mingle, with a theatre room, arcade games and a kitchen. “The new building has been really cool,” Taylah says. “It’s opened up the boarding a lot. It’s up on the hill, so the views are really cool.”
Students at SMGS have the opportunity to join various academies, including aviation, snow sports, mountain biking and equestrian. During winter, boarding numbers increase, as students come from other schools to join the snow sports academy.
Taylah says she loved everything she learned in the equestrian academy. “We get a lot of jumping and dressage coaches, but we also get some coaches doing cattle work, which is great.”
This story excerpt is from issue #164
Outback Magazine: Dec/Jan 2026
