Charlotte rides high for national triumph

Tanatside Hunt Pony Club's Charlotte Jones held off many of the best young riders in the country to score a win at the 2008 National Pony Club Championships - the starting point for many of our Olympic riders, including Beijing bronze medalists Tina Cook, Mary King and William Fox Pitt.

The 19-year-old from Welshpool finished on top after five action-packed days at Draycott House in Derbyshire.

Finals for Intermediate and Open level Pony Club Members, across five of the major disciplines including Dressage, Showjumping, Eventing, Mounted Games and Polocrosse, make up the championships

Charlotte was competing in one of the toughest of the many finals, the Mitsubishi Motors Open Eventing Championship.

She scored a memorable win in her section on her long time partner, the 10-year-old mare Silk Spider, who she has brought on herself from a youngster.

The pair led after the opening dressage phase, where they earned a score of 24.81, one of the best in all the five sections on offer.

They then jumped clear over the testing cross-country track, considered by many a step up from last year's Championships, where they cruised home inside the time.

Just one fence down in the final show jumping phase, where the wet ground meant clear rounds were difficult to come by, saw them hold onto the top spot by a clear three marks.

The pair have been in great form in British Eventing affiliated competitions this season, winning at both the Chepstow International Horse Trials and at the Stockland Lovell one day event.

Charlotte was also fifth in the Horse and Pony Open Show Jumping Championship on Carat, who had the quickest time in the jump-off but picked up 12 faults along the way.

Whitchurch's Zara Churton, 16 and a member of the Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Pony Club, also made the line up in two championships.

She finished third in her arena of the Champion Headwear Open Dressage Championships, one of the closest run in the whole competition.

Just one mark separated Zara and her horse, the nine year old Upmarket III, from the top spot when they finished on a score of 68.64 per cent.

Zara, who competes successfully on Millfield School equestrian teams, also finished eighth individually in the Open Eventing Championships on the 15.2hh Waterbeck Thyme.

Her club mate Sophie Martin, from Ellesmere, was fourth in her Open Eventing Championship arena on the 16hh The Kings Imp, who added just 1.6 cross country time penalties to his dressage score.

The horse is a new ride this year, whose past partners include senior internationals Vicky Brake and Polly Williamson, and the combination has rarely been out of the placings in BE one day events this season.

By Kate Healey