DARLINGTON Riding Club's senior open team returned from the Festival of the Hunter event at Peterborough earlier this month as national champions.

Claire Pearson on Vader was one of the first riders to tackle the course and came home clear just three seconds short of the tight optimum time.

Rebecca Pye and Highland Magic were the next to go and were cheered across the line with another fast clear before Sarah Davies and Gemimah, who have been team chasing this season with Vader and his owner Sara Metcalfe, also went clear in a time slightly slower than the first two riders.

Katherine Watson and The Black Duke had a nail-biting wait for their turn while paperwork was checked, but they secured the fastest time for the team and were one of the few under the optimum.

The riders and supporters knew that four clears put the team in with a good chance of prizes, but were delighted that it put them in first place.

The club now holds two silver platters, one for the team with the best three scores and the other for the best team where all four scores count.

Claire Pearson and Vader were second individually, with Katherine Watson and The Black Duke in eighth.

The team's chef d'equipe, Sara Metcalfe, said: "We had a great time and Grange Farm, Wittering is a superb venue. There were three water jumps and an interesting stream to negotiate, so speed was going to play an important part in the competition as well as obviously going clear.

"The riders and horses put their all in to it and, as secretary to the club as well as owner of Vader, I am delighted and very proud of them all."