A TEAM from the Cricklade-based Wessex Gold Riding Club have won the British Riding Club Winter Showjumping Championships held at Hartpury College.

It is a remarkable achievement for the club which has been in existence for only four years.

The winning quartet were Laura Austen-Europa (Rumm Ginney), Becky White (Sing Sing Sing), Hollie Cowley (Five Boys) and Jo Byrne (Peters Top Jock). They are trained by Ben Greenwood.

The tight course in the small indoor arena was not designed to suit Becky’s mount, the 17hh ex-racehorse Sing Sing Sing, but her score of eight faults was dropped and the team got through the first round on a zero score with three clear rounds.

The tougher second round course saw plenty of poles falling. However, all four girls put in foot perfect clear rounds.

Bicester RC and Newlands Corner RC also finished the second round on zero points prompting a three-way jump-off.

Jo and her pocket rocket Peters Top Jock put the team in a great position with another clear round which was swiftly followed by a further clear from Laura and her ex-racehorse Rumm Ginney despite rattling one pole.

Becky then produced another faultless round which left the Wessex Gold team in a strong position as their two opposing teams had both racked up four faults. It was far from over however, with the three best scores to count.

When Bicester’s final rider put in a foot perfect clear round it was all going to be determined on time, even after Hollie and the evergreen 23-year-old Five Boys jumped a great clear.

After a nail-biting five minutes while the times were assessed, Wessex Gold were announced the winners. It was an amazing result for all involved, including Sue Allen who had helped the club qualify only to be ruled out of the finals when her mount Shamrock was diagnosed with a heart murmur.

“To win the Winter BRC Championships with a team of three ex-race horses and a rescued pony that used to bolt, and with three of the riders fitting jumping around parenting, was a fantastic achievement,” said the club’s Tara Plaister.

Anyone interested in joining Wessex Gold Riding Club should visit www.wessexgoldrc.co.uk.