Otley wins eclipse star billings for Faraday

But she was just as thrilled with his performance nearer to home recently, at Otley Show.

He won the lightweight hunter class and then the hunter championship and went on to win the Champion of Champions (Supreme Champion) ridden horse in the show.

"I was very pleased with him," said Judi. "I love Otley and have won there a few times. It's the start of the season and your home ground – what could be better?"

Judi, who lives near Coxwold in North Yorkshire, bought Faraday, now eight, when he was eight months old.

"He was a complete hooligan and and we couldn't catch him for three years.

"I had to persevere with him but he's the easiest horse now. He's a joy to ride."

An Irish draught thoroughbred cross, he was second at Bramham last year in the middleweight ridden hunter class and qualified for HOYS in 2008.

Judi buys and sells a lot of horses but refused to be parted from this one and they hunt regularly with the Middleton.

She has also hunted him with the Sinnington, Bedale, Bramham and Zetland hunts.

She will be competing at the Great Yorkshire Show and is also planning to do some side saddle competitions.

Nicola, Philip and Katy Tyler from the Springwater Stud at Pickhill near Thirsk were in good form at Devon County with their home-bred Dartmoor ponies, taking the in-hand Dartmoor Championship.

The Tylers were showing the two-year-old filly Springwater Bridget by Springwater Intermezzo out of Dunnabridge W Princess, who was having her first outing of the season and also took the Dartmoor Star Rosette.

The stud also won the yearling filly section with Springwater Anna by Intermezzo out of Hisley Prima Donna.

Nicola was delighted to win at Devon with it being the second star show of the season and the success made it a worthwhile journey from Yorkshire with strong competition from the Devon breeders.

Joanna Rooke from Ripon had a win in the three-year hunter breeding with last year's Cuddy finalist Highlane Riley.

Paul Barker from Northallerton won the Accumulator and was runner-up in the Cushion Bed 1.40m Championship riding Amadeus and also had good placings with Amira at the Devon County Show, Exeter.

Joe Whitaker, younger brother of Ellen, was fourth riding Kool Kaiser in the International Stairway qualifier at Devon County and gained seven points in this first qualifier of the season.

Bishop Burton course puts riders through their paces

RIDERS found the novice course put together by Blenheim designer Eric Winter and British Eventing director, Chris Shaw, quite a test at Bishop Burton College Horse Trials.

Out of 120 novice competitors only four scraped through within the time and Section C winner Niki Otterburn led a list of riders who all gained penalties on the cross-country phase.

Niki, from Sutton Bank, won her section riding the 11-year-old mare Wizzi Pippin, with a score of 35.5.

A dressage score of 31.5 put her in sixth but she then went double clear in the show-jumping and had four time penalties in the cross country, which helped her into first place. Niki was also awarded the Anna Batty Memorial Trophy for the highest-placed novice owner/rider living in Yorkshire. Rachel Robinson from Sunk Island near Hull, won the novice Section B with Limerick Bell with a score of 35.70.

Other results – BE1000 Section D: Karen Hill on Hillocks Rustic Gold; Section E: Eloise Briggs on Beachmount Boy; Section F: Sarah Louise Dale on Eden Hope; Section K: Alex Hill on Just Boo.

BE90 Section G: Sally Robinson on Sunday School; Section H: Dr. Alex Brabbs on Bridgies Clover; Section I: Gina Bardon on Charleston Rhythm; Section J: Fiona Soltysiak on Calypso V Overis Z.

Former Badminton winner Oliver Townend has donated several items to an online auction in aid of the Help for Heroes charity which is being run by the Archbold Carshop in Leeds.

Find out more at www.archboldcarshop.co.uk.

CW 5/6/10