Twilight's top award is fine end to year for Cowgills

The filly was joint national winner of the two-year-old Hunter Youngstock award at the National Supreme Hunter Championships. The award operates on a points system at qualifying shows throughout the country.

The Cowgills have had a very successful season with this rather special filly.

Twilight's dam, Highpasture Hawlmark, also bred by the Cowgills, was champion Cleveland Bay at the Great Yorkshire Show as a two-year-old in 2000. But two years later she contracted grass sickness and it was touch and go whether she would survive.

Sue Cowgill nursed the mare through the illness and she gradually started to recover but they doubted they would be able to breed from her.

However, in the past eight years she has managed to produce three foals and is now "in good fettle", says Nigel.

"We were keen to put her to the thoroughbred stallion, Classic, whose stock has been so successful and it has proved to be an excellent cross.

"We will continue Twilight's career next year alongside her full brother who was born in June and looks likely to be another exciting part-bred Cleveland Bay prospect."

Twilight has been unbeaten in hunter classes this year, winning at Hambleton, Ryedale, the Yorkshire Sport Horse Show and the Great Yorkshire Show. She was also Supreme Hunter Champion and Hunter Youngstock Champion at the Yorkshire Sporthorse Show and part-bred Cleveland Bay champion at the Great Yorkshire Show.

She was placed third at Bramham in the Event Horse Breeding and Youngstock, two-year-old filly class and was awarded a BEF Futurity First Premium in eventing last autumn – the first part-bred Cleveland Bay to achieve this.

AFTER months of hard work and hundreds of qualifying rounds, riding club members gathered at Lincolnshire show ground for the BRC National Championships.

This year, the overall number of entries was up from 200 to 1,800.

A number of Yorkshire riders were on winning form. Members of the East Yorkshire Riding Club took the Pro Feet senior team of four dressage title. Team members were Beverley Gibson riding Lord Harvey of Leyland, Christine Freear (Sergeant Man), Andrea Peel (Maateus) and Darren Kaye (Double Coin).

Samantha Broadhead from the Harewood Combined Training Group took the honours in the Respirator Senior Intermediate Showjumping Individual competition.

Yorkshire's young riders also did well, claiming several national titles. The Pro Feet junior team of four dressage competition was won by Malton and District Riding Club's team of Alice Laughton (Simon Jack), Katherine Holmes (Iceford Toffee), Susannah Dunn (Mockbeggar William) and Sophie Lear (Dancing Firebird.)

Northallerton Riding Club's team of Jack Bagley (Berry Patrick), Toby Bell (Strawberry Box), Michaela Richards (Golden Exclusive) and Heather Bellis (Pebbles) won the Respirator Junior Intermediate Showjumping team championship.

Bethany Shipley from North Ryedale Riding Club took the Pro Feet Junior Style Jumping individual title with Breffne Brou.

JUDI THURLOE from Oulston, York, had a worthwhile visit to the 211th Westmorland County Show held at Crooklands, near Kendal and clinched two tickets for next year's Royal International Horse Show.

Judi took the lightweight hunter riding the five-year-old Santa Cruz by Terriman formerly with racehorse trainer Peter Beaumont and has had five wins this season, including Huby-in-Sutton, Ryedale and Malton.

Judi's second ticket was a second place in the middleweight with the nine-year-old Faraday by Snowford Benson, which was bought as a foal and was a winner at Otley.

Gemma Reed from Utley, near Keighley rode the seven-year-old What A Day to finish second and got her ticket in the ladies hunter class. She also came third in the middleweight. Sandra Robertson from Longlee, Keighley secured her ticket with a third in the small hunter class riding the 15-year-old Tobiano Designer Label II.

Paul Langrick from Easingwold had a second and took his Royal International ticket in the skewbald and piebald heavyweight ridden section riding Spirit of Darkness and also had a third in the lightweight hunter riding One More Knight.

Rachel Thompson from West Morton, Keighley had a second in the ridden B&C and a third in the heritage mountain and moorland working hunter, riding Mrs G Stone's Paddock Navaho.

Karl Fuller, from East Chevin, clinched the top two places in the showjumping accumulator and the top prize of 150. Karl was riding Weterna and Wet, Wet, Wet which have been prolific winners on local scene.