Cream of the North’s big target

Aug 9 2008 The Journal

ELEVEN North-based young riders have been selected for the British Eventing Junior Regional Novice competition.

It’s designed to provide riders with competitive experience against other riders of the same age. This develops a greater understanding of the sport and enables riders to further their riding career.

The national competition is divided into eight regions, each with its own junior regional co-ordinator. Each region will usually run three or four qualifying JRN classes per region.

In the North, JRN sections were delegated to Witton, Hexham, Skipton and Cumwhinton. Riders must compete in the JRN classes in order to qualify for the championships.

Regional co-ordinator Jane Peters said: “It provides a stepping stone between the Pony Programme, Pony Club and those ready to take part in the Junior Team Selection Programme. The JRN programme is open to all eligible juniors who have their 14th to 18th birthday in the current year and riders must be capable of competing at BE novice level.

“The programme culminates in the JRN Championships at Weston Park in October which is run as a CCI and counts as part of the horse and rider’s further qualification.”

This year the squad is sponsored by Newcastle-based Equine Products UK Ltd who have given a complete package including clothing, training, nutritional supplements and advice.

The squad were given matching jackets and hat at a recent Angerton training session overseen by team trainer Chris McGann.

Harriet Armstrong, 17, is one of four North East riders in the squad and already had a taste of JRN success finishing ninth individual and best Northern rider on her own Redoubtable III, described as ‘a horse of a lifetime’, at the 2007 Championships.

Her best outings with the horse this season was at Richmond winning the junior open novice section, 2nd open novice at Lincolnshire and 6th open intermediate under-21 at Belton.

It’s the first time in the squad for Todburn-based 16-year-old Emma Carmichael who recently picked up a third place JRN at Hexham and a first JRN at Skipton on Royal Rumpus, an 18-year-old gelding owned by Selby Friar and Lady Caroline Tyrell.

She also qualified for the Pony Club National Horse Trials Championships at Area 2 Cumwhinton venue. Emma said: “I was offered Rumpy earlier in the season and has certainly proved his worth.”

A third rider, Angerton-based Laura Fenwick, has been making progress on Stephen Hardy’s 12-year-old bay Lorton Footprint, taken on at the beginning of this season. He has had double JRN placings at both Floors Castle and Skipton with the latter and second ride Glenariff.

She gets dressage training from Chris McGann and show jumping from Pauline Wakefield.

South Northumberland Pony club member Emma Pybus and her own Dairgati are aiming to get to Weston Park again after a sixth novice placing in April and three completed JRN outings at Hexham, Skipton and Buckminster Park to date.