Midgley in at the deep end as he heads west to test out his horsemanship skills

Yet now the teenager is preparing to star in something akin to an American X-Factor on horseback; minus the singing.

Midgley, just 19, is still pinching himself after landing a role on Master Horseman Chris Cox’s The Horsemanship Showdown – set to be screened on American cable channel RFD TV. The competition will see 10 youngsters tackle series of tasks over 10 days with two lucky winners earning a four-year apprenticeship on Cox’s world-renowned Diamond Double C Ranch. Yet barely three years ago Midgley had zero experience of any Western riding whatsoever.

It’s been a meteoric rise for the Yorkshireman, who had specialised in tent pegging before a visit to a friend’s western riding trekking centre in 2012 sparked a new love affair. Later that year, the teenager was crowned the Western Horseman Association’s national youth champion of 2012 in Nottingham. One year later – earlier this year in September – the Yorkshire ace won the competition’s senior version.

It’s no wonder Midgley made Cox’s shortlist yet his date with the best in the business is still to sink in.

“It’s blown me away, it really has,” Midgley told the Yorkshire Post this week, hours before his Thursday morning flight from Manchester to Texas. “It all started when Chris Cox had a tour in the UK and ‘I thought I’ll have to go.’

“He’s one of the best western horsemen in the world and there’s just no way that I can miss it. I went to that at Willerby Hill, near Hull, and I thought ‘I wonder if he does any kind of apprenticeships or courses or anything’ and I found about this Horsemanship Showdown. I went online and submitted my application – spending about four hours on the computer.

“When I found out I had been successful I nearly fell over.

“I cried like a baby as it’s a dream come true.

“Ten of us are going out there – ten young trainers – and we’re all going out there to live and work on his ranch for 10 days and we’ll be given various tasks in working with horses and cattle and stuff.

“He then picks not necessarily the best but whoever is most suited to him.

“It’s the opportunity of the lifetime. I really can’t wait and it’s the biggest thing that has ever happened to me.”

The competition will begin tomorrow with Midgley flying back to Yorkshire on November 24 – three days after the unique TV show has ended. Yet for obvious reasons the young Yorkshireman desperately hopes he will be required to book another flight back – only a one-way ticket ahead of a four-year stay in Texas.

And there can be no arguing with the youngster’s credentials with Midgley making relentless progress on his quarter-back Waccabuc Bandito or Bandit for short.

As well as scooping the Western Horseman Association national youth and senior titles in succession, Midgley has been making giant strides under the Western Equestrian Society sphere. At a recent show at Askham Bryan College, the teenager won the open class (showmanship) as well as the youth and novice events. In total, he and Bandit took six firsts, three seconds and three hi-points. Midgley laughed: “There wasn’t much else we could have won!”

Yet there is no denying the win that would matter most with Midgley – who has been working with Goole horseman Guy Robertson this summer – desperate to become one of Cox’s lucky final two.

Midgley said: “Chris has said that we wants his two apprentices to start their own career so I would like to go out to America, do my four years, and hopefully be lucky enough to be chosen.

“Then I would come back and just set up doing advanced horsemanship in the UK. I would like to be the person that everyone comes to for questions and advice and also make western horsemanship bigger and better as well. It’s a fantastic discipline but so many people don’t know about it.”

Expect that to change if Midgley has his way with the Yorkshireman champing at the bit ahead of his first taste of America -–and relative TV fame.

“Chris has specifically said it’s not a reality TV show because it’s a serious thing,” said Midgley, who has shelved plans to study sociology at university. The Horsemanship Showdown is genuine, Chris definitely wants an apprentice and that’s his priority – not for it to be an entertainment show. But there will be a lot of viewers watching and I guess it is kind of like an X-Factor feel. I’ve never even been to America before so I am definitely in at the deep end.”

England win is a real family affair for Alex and Connie

NORTHALLERTON siblings Alex and Connie Gill are celebrating more success after excelling at the recent England Home Pony.

The brother and sister duo were joined in victory by Goole’s Charlie Dawson as a string of White Rose representatives helped England claim first prize.

Alex Gill, 15, formed part of the England team that took top spot ahead of Ireland in the 148cm competition hosted by SouthView Training and Competition Centre.

Gill partnered Lynne Barker’s nine-year-old dark bay gelding Amman Valley Santino and the Northallerton star was joined in victory by Goole’s Dawson.

Dawson, 14, also formed part of the 148cm England team by partnering Vanessa Townsend’s 10-year-old dun mare Destavelars Misty.

And there was also success for Yorkshire – and again the Gill family – in the 138cm team event.

Connie Gill, aged 10, mirrored her older brother by helping England win their competition – again at the expense of Ireland.

Gill, who like her older brother attends Cundall Manor School, partnered her father Ian’s 12 year-old bay gelding Dycott Masterman.

The England Home Pony success for the Gill siblings follows their double joy at this year’s Horse Of The Year Show at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre.

Alex won the Blue Chip Pony Newcomers on his seven-year-old grey Wildwood Silver.

He also came third on Sunday in the Junior Showjumper Of The Year on Amman Valley Santino.

Connie won the Naylors Equestrian 138cm Championship on Dycott Masterman.

Alex and Connie will be aspiring to reach the heights scaled by the great John Whitaker MBE, who took top spot in last weekend’s 4* 1.60m Munich Grand Prix.

Whitaker, from Huddersfield, partnered his wife Clare’s 11-year old dark bay stallion Argento to take the top spot – two years on from winning the same class with former top ride Peppermill.

Out of a class of 49 competitors, only 13 combinations made it into the jump off.

With seven competitors jumping clear, Whitaker knew he had to jump clear but with a quick time.

As the last competitor to enter the ring, Whitaker and Argento went on to produce a foot perfect round and stopping the clock in 33.32 seconds.

This double clear and time was enough to ensure that they secured the top spot along with the lion’s share of the €80,000 on offer.

The win also means that Yorkshire star Whitaker jumped up to second in the DKB ranking list after seven competitions, with the Munich show in Munich being the final stage of the competition.