DARLINGTON rider Georgie Morrison has been named as first reserve for the British team at the European pony three-day event championships with her pony Bletchendon Fanfare.

The 16-year-old Barnard Castle School pupil was chosen after a good performance at the British pony three-day event championships, staged at Sansaw Park in Shropshire.

The teenager finished ninth on her 14.2hh dun gelding, who jumped one of only a handful of double clears in the competition to move up from his dressage position.

Her mother, Nicky Morrison, said: "Georgie wasn't too pleased with Bletchendon Fanfare's dressage test at Sansaw - he was a bit fresh and happy to be at a big event!"

He normally does quite a good test and, if he'd performed as he can, he would have made the top five."

The pony, who was on the pony European team with previous jockey Daniel Megson in 2003, redeemed himself with a fine cross-country round.

"The Sansaw course was probably a bit easier than in the past and rode well, with the two water crossings catching out some," Mrs Morrison continued.

"The show jumping course was technical and caused quite a bit of trouble. You had to get a good line and straighten your pony up after coming off the corners, and then it rode OK."

Georgie has been in consistent form at one-day pony trials this season, finishing second at Withington Manor and fifth at both Witton Castle and Lincolnshire, and was a little unlucky not to make the final team.

Mrs Morrison added: "It's a case of so near and yet so far - Georgie was short-listed for the team last year with Sapphire Blue and would have loved to have made the team this time."

She will be part of the squad which will receive pre-championship training under top coaches Yogi Breisner and Jonquil Hemming early next month, and the European championships will be held in Italy in late July.

Morton on Swale international Nicola Tweddle was out of luck at the three star Bramham CCI*** three-day event.

Riding the 11-year-old Highland Loch II, she was just outside the top 40 after the opening dressage phase, but then picked up two stops cross-country to lose what had been a chance of a top 12 finish.

The first stop came at a four-part combination at fence eight, a real test of accuracy, and the second was one fence from home, at the Ripon Farm Services Rhombus corner.

The pair finished in 42nd place out of close on 80 starters.