A team of four girls from the Duke of Buccleuch pony club including local team member Jessica Friell and her pony Harry won the National Novice Team Show Jumping trophy at last weekend’s Pony Club Novice Championships in Cheshire.
Jessica and Harry arrived home late last Sunday tired but delighted to have won the prestigious trophy, a first for Scotland.
Preliminary rounds have been held this summer across the UK, with over 500 teams competing for 45 team places at the Championships. The girls were delighted to have earned their place at the Championships, but to have come away with the National Novice title was an amazing experience, they all agreed.
At the Championships, the girls and their ponies jumped two rounds on Saturday leaving them tied for first place with five other teams on four faults. So a jump off over a shortened course against the clock was very exciting and the Buccleuch team came out on top with only one fence down and the fastest combined time.