Hat-trick of triumphs for Ackworth’s heroes

ACKWORTH and District Riding Club are celebrating a fine hat-trick achieved in the Area 4 Team showjumping qualifier at Bishop Burton College.
heroes: Ackworth and District Riding Clubs successful senior novice team, left to right, Dawn Virr, Lorraine Bingham, team manager Sharon Webb, Charlotte Ward and Sheila Rogerson.heroes: Ackworth and District Riding Clubs successful senior novice team, left to right, Dawn Virr, Lorraine Bingham, team manager Sharon Webb, Charlotte Ward and Sheila Rogerson.
heroes: Ackworth and District Riding Clubs successful senior novice team, left to right, Dawn Virr, Lorraine Bingham, team manager Sharon Webb, Charlotte Ward and Sheila Rogerson.

A total of 35 Ackworth riders made the trip to the competition, set up over two days with the first day designated to the novice competitor teams.

Four riders had to jump two rounds with the best three scores tallied up from each.

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The four top-scoring teams then went on to a final round against the clock to decide the placings.

And Ackworth began their weekend with a thrilling victory amid a nail-biting jump off for the senior novice team which consisted of the club’s chairperson Sheila Rogerson, Lorraine Bingham, Dawn Virr and Charlotte Ward.

Despite intense competition, the Ackworth senior novice team ruled supreme and were awarded first place, earning the club’s first golden ticket to the National Championships.

Sunday then presented the intermediate competition, giving the juniors a chance to show what they were made of.

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Ackworth’s novice team managed a fifth-placed finish while the all-girls intermediate team, including Mary Foster, Victoria Wilson, Chloe Naismith and Eliza Yeardley, found themselves in a competitive jump off.

But the Ackworth team kept their cool to claim victory, swiping the club’s second team win of the competition and another qualifying place for the nationals.

A dream weekend for the club then got even better when the senior team of Margaret Smith, Joanna Anderson, Steph Marshall and Victoria Whiteley won their event outright, without the need for a jump off.

That success brought up an amazing hat-trick for the club, whose intermediate team also finished fourth.

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Sharon Webb, Ackworth’s vice chairperson, beamed: “What an amazing weekend for the club.

“We couldn’t have asked for better results. Well done to all the members involved and to the Area 4 committee for their organisation of the event.”

Chairperson Sheila Rogerson added: “I couldn’t be prouder to be part of this fantastic club. We had an amazing atmosphere created by our members and their families that supported those competing.”

Ackworth & District Riding Club are currently looking for sponsors for their arena showcrosse events held over Winter and Spring at Moorhouse Equestrian Centre.

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Anybody wishing to support the club then please contact Sharon Webb on 07584 061108 to discuss.

Ruby celebrations are in store at Sunday’s Sinnington Point-to-Point at Duncombe Park – the 40th anniversary of point-to-pointing at the Helmsley venue.

A total of 125 entries have been received with racing starting at 12.30pm. Racing begins with the Hunt Members race – likely to go the way of Sarah and William Easterby who make up over half of the entries. The postcode for satellite navigation is YO62 5EB and admission is £10 per person.

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