SELBY District Riding Club’s junior show cross team is through to the national championships at the Festival of the Horse in Warwickshire on Sunday, June 1.

They qualified having won the novice show cross with a narrow margin of less than one time penalty at the area qualifiers for British Riding Clubs at Epworth Equestrian Centre where they faced tough competition from North Ryedale and Ackworth riding clubs.

The team, which comprised Freddie Fawcett on Kilimazing Topaz, Ellen Hobson on Blue Admiral, Chloe Kendrew on Go Go Romeo and Joe Nice on Bonnie Bella, also enjoyed individual successes with Joe coming through as the individual winner and Chloe as the individual runner-up.

The junior intermediate section did not manage to get a full team of four competitors round the course, which means that the top four individuals will be going as a team.

The team will comprise of Jessica Bedi, from Northallerton, Jess Johnson, from Malton, Kennedy Waugh, from Selby, and Rob Chadwick, from Ackworth.

Malton senior intermediate competitor Kathy Boothman, from Nawton, who had a fantastic double clear, riding her own horse, Buzz Lite Year, will also be another contender at the championships.

Meanwhile, Ellen Hobson, 13, and Blue Admiral won the BE90 section O, at Breckenbrough Horse Trials, where they completed their best dressage test ever and jumped clear at showjumping and cross-country, within the time allowed. The pair will now try to retain their dressage marks as they head to Northallerton Equestrian Centre for another attempt at British Eventing.

Ellen, who is a pupil at Queen Margaret’s School, and comes from Escrick, learnt to ride at Naburn Grange Riding Centre, and now trains under Katie Stephens at Sherburn.

She said: “I’m thrilled at our performance in the dressage, and was over the moon to win the event.”