Yorkshire riders ready for British bow at college

Teams from 13 countries will be competing and the riders who will represent Great Britain in eventing, show-jumping and dressage are being selected with several Yorkshire riders among those who have been chosen.

The dressage team includes Charlotte Fry, 14, from Driffield, riding Andexer and Charlotte Gill, 16, from York, on Ferrari. Roxanne Shipley, 15, from York, is first reserve with Best Shakomo. Completing the team are Erin Williams,12, from Derbyshire with Danny Boy B and Claire Gallimore,16, from St Albans, with Gigolo.

Philippa Hall, 14, from Thirsk, has been chosen as a reserve for the eventing team with her pony, A Touch of Spice. "I am absolutely delighted to have made it this far, to be a Yorkshire girl riding at a Championships at Bishop Burton College would be a dream come true," she said.

The final John Whitaker International Pony Squad includes Daisy Davis,16, from Bristol; Amy Inglis, 13, from Haywards Heath; Jessica Mendoza, 14, from Chippenham; Emily Roe, 13, from Lincoln and Laura Whiteway, 16, from Preston.

JEROME Harforth and his team from the Stanley Grange Stud, Great Ayton, made it a worthwhile trip to the Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh, by taking the supreme in hand championship and their ticket for the prestigious Cuddy Championship to be held at the Horse of the Year Show in October.

Simon Charlesworth showed Sue Grimshaw's yearling Moluccas Tarragon Tiger by the Australian sire Willowcroft Regal Bronze, out of 2005 Cuddy finalist Kitty Kelley, to qualify for the supreme.

The stable's other yearlings, Charn Secret Fairytale and Millwood Grange Royal Hussar, were also winners.

The team also produced the Royal Bank of Scotland Supreme Ridden and show hunter pony champion with Julie Bankier riding the 13 hh Hindleaf Choirboy Country.

Melissa McCluskey won the show pony championship with the five-year-old Hinwood Two Thyme and the ridden part-bred arab championship with the six-year-old mare Lucy Brown, with reserve going to Jill Slight, riding Stanley Grange City Lights.

The East of England produced a win in the HOYS hack qualifiers for Simon Charlesworth, riding the five-year-old Baydale Venus, which took the hack championship at Horse of the Year Show last year, and was bred by the late Sheila Fenwick, from Gargrave.

The cob championship at the East of England was won by Jack Cochrane, on Hallmark, which was a double winner. Charles Le Moignan, from Doncaster, took the hunter championship with Regal Wood. Freddie Welford, from Thirsk, took the show hunter pony tricolour with Littlebriars April Louise.

Sophie Staveley, from Scarborough, took the show hunter championship at BSPS Scottish with the seven-year-old Burfordly Sea Lord by Kilvington Scoundrel and was also reserve and second in the intermediate show hunter on Exploitation. Georgina Butterworth, from Ilkley, and Michaela Wood, from Harrogate, took their HOYS tickets in the Intermediate sections riding Fleetwater Xcutive and Royal Angel and Charlie Marshall, from Rotherham, won his lead rein ticket with Nantlais Gwerthfawr.

RAGWORT is a major danger for horses and according to the BHS the problem is getting worse.

During Ragwort Awareness Week this week, they are appealing for anybody with an interest in horses to complete a "snapshot survey" which will help them to establish the extent of the problem in the UK.

The survey is available on www.bhs.org.uk.

A small group of National Hunt enthusiasts are organising a trip to Pau in the south of France for the Grand Steeplechase de Pau which is on January 23.

Alison Harris, who is a trustee and a member of the Friends of the Northern Racing College at Bawtry, is looking for four more people to make the trip

viable.

The cost of the trip is around 350 which includes three nights accommodation and train travel.

Anybody who is interested in joining the trip should contact Mrs Stancee Wedd on 01302 723745 before July 26.