Samantha waits for call with Splodge

Samantha, who lives at Etton near Beverley and is a student at Bishop Burton College, has been on the JRN programme for two seasons aiming to qualify for the JRN Championships, with a view to joining the BEF regional foundation programme.

"It seems to be our season," said Samantha. "We have been working hard on our flatwork with my trainer Jayne White and my eye and technique for show-jumping and cross-country is down to the expert teaching and advice of Gary Parsonage. Splodge can be sharp and has bags of attitude but more often than not, his attitude works in our favour."

The JRN programme culminates in the championships, a CCI one-star, run under FEI rules at Weston Park in Shropshire in October. Samantha and Splodge have qualified twice for team selection and will hear whether they have made it onto the team after the final JRN class at Cumwhinton, Carlisle on July 18.

AN appeal to raise funds for a new horse box has been launched by the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre at Halton, Lancashire. Their current box is an 18-year-old, 7.5 tonne vehicle. It needs to be replaced by a smaller, 3.5 tonne version.

New laws covering larger vehicles mean that five members of staff would soon need to obtain HGV licences, at a cost of 1,000 each and spend 35 hours in training to drive the current box. The centre has received a donation of 10,000 but needs another 15,000. Potential sponsors can contact Tracey Lyon on 01524 812649.