Teenager Laura has a double triumph

Laura, who lives in Huggate, won both the advanced medium and advanced tests riding the 14-year-old gelding whose stable name is Tommy. She was also reserve champion in the Frederika Junior FEI competition.

"It was quite scary as I was one of the youngest competitors and had never competed in an intermediate test at that level before," said Laura.

"Tommy and I had a great test though and I got my best score ever of 71.56 per cent, so I was really pleased."

Laura's father is the rally champion, Jonny Milner. A pupil at Woldgate School in Pocklington, she is sponsored by local business Bond International and has training from Verity Franks and Ian Woodhead.

Laura and Tommy will be competing again next weekend at the Sheepgate Tack and Togs Championship at Boston.

PLANS are well under way for next weekend's Beckwithshaw Horse Trials. "Our course builder and designer, Mark Wattler, has come up with some exciting new additions to the existing course and an opportunity to get your feet wet in our improved water jump," says joint organiser, Vanessa Fleming.

Winners in each section will receive prize money of 150 and runners-up 100. This year the organisational side of the event will be based in the lorry park, rather than at the top of the course as last year, which should prove more convenient for riders. The event takes place on August 21 and 22.

CHARLOTTE BREAR, 22, from East Morton has been celebrating winning her first ever Novice event at Skipton Horse Trials last weekend. She was also awarded the Bower trophy for the best local rider.

Charlotte rode seven-year-old Manor Missile (Siren) whose sire was Honeybrook Siren from End House Stud at Gisburn. She had a dressage score of 35 and double clear rounds.

HAMBLETON District Show, which was held at the end of May at Carlton Husthwaite, raised a total of 6,000 for three different charities. Yorkshire Cancer Research will receive 4,000 and 1,000 each will go to the the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and to the York and district branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

THE Tyler family had a worthwhile journey to the Eastern Dartmoor Show held at Pitsford Equestrian Centre, when they took the overall and reserve young stock championship.

The Tylers were showing their two-year-old Springwater Bridget by their senior stallion Springwater Intermezzo which took the two-year-old section and the young stock tricolour.

Their three-year-old filly Springwater Peony, on loan to Bridie Mason, took the reserve young stock. The Tylers' foal Springwater Stop The Music was runner-up and the geldings went to Jane Patterson with Springwater Dauntless. Jane Moore and Gayle Vasey from Leyburn were runner-up and reserve male champion with their stallion Oaktree Starstorm.

Hickstead pair named in British squad for 2010 Games

Hickstead Nations Cup stars Michael Whitaker and Tina Fletcher have been named in Great Britain's showjumping team for the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

They will be joined by Scottish prospect Scott Brash and the experienced David McPherson. Both riders also featured during this year's Nations Cup campaign when Britain finished third overall, behind France and runners-up the United States.

Yorkshire's Whitaker will be aboard GIG Amai, while Fletcher rides Hello Sailor. Both combinations were part of Britain's Nations Cup victory at Hickstead – their first on home soil since 2006 – last month.

Brash, the current British Masters champion, will take his highly-rated Intertoy Z to Kentucky, with McPherson selected on Chamberlain Z.

The non-travelling British reserve is Robert Smith, whose horse Talan finished second in Hickstead's prestigious King George V Gold Cup nine days ago.

Britain's world class performance manager Rob Hoekstra is building strongly towards a concerted Olympic medal challenge at London 2012, with next year's Nations Cup series and European Championships critical towards that aim.

But he also sees the World Equestrian Games as playing an important role.

Hoekstra said: "My target this year was to remain in the top-level Nations Cup series for 2011, which we have now achieved.

"Results have been exciting, and we have seen a number of new horses and riders producing excellent performances in the Nations Cup. The team for WEG is very much part of the development of the squad for 2012, and we have selected horses that have performed well in the Nations Cup series."

CW 14/8/10