Double success for local riders at Festival of Horse 100 Challenge

Darlington & District Riding Club proved that perseverance pays off when finally winning The British Riding Club’s Horslyx Festival of Horse Senior 100 Challenge Championships at Aston le Walls, Northamptonshire.

The championships saw teams from across the UK and Ireland take part.

The local team, consisting of Penny Thompson on Miracle Pie, Jill Horseman on Double You Aramis, Emma Louise Coverdale on Harleyquinn and Emma Gibbon on Plimsols Line secured their spot at Alnwick Ford last October.

They then made use of good ground conditions to secure the win at Aston le Walls.

The 100 Challenge involved the unique format of a twisty show jumping course, which included unusual obstacles such as doubles of planks, followed immediately by a championship level cross country course, which unlike British Eventing could not be tackled with the aid of a stopwatch.

The team success was accompanied by legal secretary Penny Thompson winning the individual competition finishing with a double clear and only being one second outside the optimum time.

Furthermore Emma Gibbon and Plimsols Line, who led for the first half of the class, finished seventh with a strong double clear.

As always the club enjoyed great camaraderie at the championships and excellent support from other members who were at home on this occasion. Looking to the future, the club hopes to experience further success with summer qualifiers in the next few weeks.