THE British Riding Club’s Area 4 had a busy two days show jumping over the weekend at Bishop Burton College.

Riders were competing for four of the available qualifiers on offer, with the novice championships taking place over the Easter weekend at Hartpury College, Warwickshire and the intermediate championships, which will take place at Bury Farm, Bedfordshire, on May 2 and 3.

The senior novice class on Saturday saw some of the competitors not able to get there due to heavy snow.

The 25 teams that did manage to get through braved the blizzard and rain on and off throughout the day with smiles on their faces.

Each team jumped two separate courses with the best three scores from the four team members from both rounds counting.

With no teams finishing with zero faults, there was a jump-off betweenfor the four faulters, Ackworth, Northallerton, Ebor Vale and West Yorkshire Horseplay, which was the deciding factor for the two qualifying spaces. Pocklington club, Ebor Vale managed four clears, but just seconds slower to narrowly miss a shot at the championships. Sunday saw slightly better weather, if very windy and cold. The Malton junior novice team were on a mission with their newly-sponsored saddle cloths from Minster Equine Vets.

Team members Amy Small, Harriet Lyon, Samantha Brown and Megan Bell finished the first round with no faults, then just four faults in the second round putting them in contention with Selby Escrick Park on the same score from eleven teams.

A nail-biting jump off for the top spot ensued with each team member from the two clubs going alternately. Very fast rounds came from Selby, but with 12 jumping faults. The Malton team also managed quick rounds, but with all members going clear giving them the qualifying place for Hartpury.

The junior intermediate saw Selby once again go head to head in a jump off, this time with Ackworth who put up a faultless round, leaving Selby to gallantly take second place again. The senior intermediate saw Ackworth take home the honours again with just four faults with York and Scarborough on eight faults with time being the deciding factor.

The results were:

Senior novice teams – 1 Ackworth Divas, Sheila Rogerson, Charlotte Ward, Lorraine Bingham and Dawn Virr, 2 Northallerton, Colin Rae, Christine Wilson, Jackie Nettleton and Christine Daniels, 3 Ebor Vale, Amy Harris, Cat Dalton, Fiona Wainwright and Zoe Nundy, 4 West Yorkshire Horseplay, Nikki Smith, Tim Whitely, Karen Bostock and Phillip Dixon, 5 Scarborough Castle, Lucy Woodhead, Zoe Jenkins, Tracey Corrigan and Carly Mansfield, 6 Harewood, Amy Pickard, Mandy Snowdon, Tori Heaton and Suzi Styles.

Junior novice teams – 1 Malton, Amy Small, Samantha Brown, Harriet Lyon and Megan Bell, 2 Selby Escrick Park, Chloe Kendrew, Louise Boxall and Olivia Dallas, 3 North Ryedale Red, Charlotte Blenkin, Lizzie Ball, Charlotte Armitage and Amy Hayhurst, 4 Selby Blue, Libby Sinclair, Jemma Fawcett, and Ellie McNeil, 5 Ackworth Mischiefs, Leila Edwards, Edward Hardy, Amelia Simpson and Jessica Beachill, 6 Northallerton Blue, Lizzie Walker, Helena Youmans, Amelia Trueman and Emily Graham.

Senior intermediate – 1 Ackworth, Stephanie Marshall, Victoria Whiteley, Margaret Smith and Joanna Anderson, 2 York and District, Kathryn Starkey, Charlotte Leighton, Debbie Benson and Natasha Ounsley, 3 Scarborough, Amy Osborne, Rowan Haywood, Jackie Riby and Kay Traves, 4 Ackworth Eventers, Lizzie Reid, Jenny Blyth, Alison Knox and Tracy Dearnley, 5 Selby, Kim Richards, Laura Birley, Sarah Dale and Victoria Campey, 6 Darrowby, Louise Baines, Claire Jackson, Jane Lee and Martin Baines.

Junior intermediate – 1 Ackworth, Chloe Naismith, Eliza Yeardley, Victoria Wilson and Mary Foster, 2 Selby, Freddie Fawcett, Joe Nice, Ellen Hobson and Freya Smith. 3 North Ryedale Blue, Lois Teal, Kiera Colgan, Rachel Inman and Lucy Gilsenan, 4 North Ryedale Orange, Lois Teal, Kiera Colgan and Alice Laughton, 5 Malton, Amy Small. Robyn Welford, Sophie Richardson and Abbie Pierce, 6 Holme Valley, Leah Hallas, Amy Watson and Charlie Wells.