Lois Teal and Totti in their stride at pupils’ college competition (From Gazette & Herald)

Lois Teal and Totti in their stride at pupils’ college competition

8:20am Wednesday 29th February 2012 in Equestrian

SOME of the area’s top young riding talent gathered at Bishop Burton as the college hosted the latest round of the National Schools Equestrian Association showjumping series on Saturday.

This competition league attracts teams and individual representatives from schools across the county, but it was in-form Norton College rider Lois Teal, who laid out the challenge for the rest with performances that were not to be beaten.

Lois, 14, from Norton, really got into her stride when fending off stiff competition from a strong field of 29 riders to take the top honours in the 80cm novice section riding the talented chestnut gelding, Totti.

Lois and Totti were the long-term leaders in the hotly-contested intermediate section until Katie Walker shaved a fraction of a second from the time set by Lois to take the lead.

This was to be short-lived as Lois replied with a good clear round in a very fast time with her second ride, Fleck, to top the leader-board for a second time.

Lois and Fleck went forward to head the field once again in the open class making a hattrick of victories for the talented young rider.

Also among the ribbons was Acklam-based Hannah Milner, who took third place in the open riding her eye-catching skewbald mare, Libby, and Emily Waddington, who finished third in the mini contest on her debut appearance at a schools competition.

Pickering’s Lady Lumley’s School lifted the title in the 80cm contest proving a credit to team trainer, Alison Brown. The quartet, comprising Wilton-based Rosie Howarth, riding Minstrel, Rebecca Champion, from Wrelton, on Buster, Pickeringbased rider Jade Hutchinson-Archer on Irish Double Cream and George Brown riding Penny Richardson’s black mare, Min, fought off fierce competition from a field of 26 teams to clinch an impressive victory.

George Brown finished individual fourth in the class and Rosie Howarth gathered rosettes when taking fourth place in the 90cm intermediate.

Jade Hutchinson-Archer finished sixth in the intermediate and then went one place better in the one-metre open.

The results were:

Mini Individuals: 1 Maddy & Lucy Gilsenan (Scalby School), 2 Firecracker & Frankie Naish (Scotter Primary School), 3 Halo & Emily Waddington (Norton College), 4 Wesley & Sally Rogers (St Aidan's), 5 Baileys Buzzy Boy & Madison Welford (Ryedale School), 6 Tallulah Sunshine & Imogen Collinson (South Holderness).

Novice Individuals: 1 Totti & Lois Teal (Norton College), 2 Comanche Blue & Lucy Gilsenan (Scalby School), 3 My Little Thunder & Suzannah Borrows (South Axholme), 4 Min & George Brown (Lady Lumley’s), 5 Wesley & Sally Rogers (St Aidan’s C of E), 6 Maddy & Lucy Gilsenan (Scalby School).

Novice Teams: 1 Lady Lumley’s, 2 Richmond, 3 Northallerton, 4 Scarborough College.

Intermediate Individuals: 1 Fleck & Lois Teal (Norton College), 2 Magna & Katie Walker (Whitby CC), 3 Totti & Lois Teal (Norton College), 4 Minstrel & Rosie Howarth (Lady Lumleys), 5 Gentle Kym & Katie Hill (Trinity Academy), 6 Irish Double Cream & Jade Hutchinson Archer (Lady Lumley’s).

Intermediate Teams: 1 Whitby CC, 2 St Aidan’s C of E, 3 Richmond, 4 Northallerton Open Individuals: 1 Fleck & Lois Teal (Norton College), 2 Magna & Katie Walker (Whitby CC), 3 Libby & Hannah Milner (Norton College), 4 Forest IV & Jonti Bartlett (Caistor Grammar), 5 Irish Double Cream & Jade Hutchinson Archer (Lady Lumley’s), 6 Creagh Mazeppa & Lucy Winn (St Aidan's).

Open Teams: 1 Caistor Grammar, 2 Whitby CC, 3 St Aidan's C of E.