NORTH Yorkshire riders Jessica Russell and Paul Barker both finished in the prize money at the first of the 2005 British Show Jumping Association's Premier League shows.

The show took place at Solihull in the West Midlands and attracted many top names, with leading international Michael Whitaker heading the £1,000-to-the-winner Winter A and B Grand Prix class.

Jessica Russell, a 24-year-old rider based with the Barker family in Northallerton, scored a fine win in a strongly-contested 1.30m open class.

Her success came on the chance ride Quattro, a 16.3hh chestnut owned, and normally ridden, by Robert Shields.

"Robert had entered the horse for the Premier Show, but then had flu and was unable to go," Jessica explained.

"He asked Paul to ride him, but he was already taking several horses so he suggested I ride Quattro.

"I hadn't sat on him until the day before our win and the first round course was fairly technical and all on related distances."

Despite the new partnership, Jessica joined 22 other entrants in the timed jump-off, coming from an early draw to win by nearly half a second.

"I was fifth to go which meant I had to sweat it out after my round - I'd decided to go for it though and Paul, who helps me a lot, told me to kick on and see what the horse could do," Jessica added.

"The Barker family have been very supportive - I don't have any horses of my own at the moment, but compete on four from the yard, mainly at local shows."

International rider Paul Barker, 25, finished third and fourth in a 1.35m open riding the eight-year-old Temple Ryefield and Sunboy.

He rode both horses at the Olympia International Horse Show in London at the end of 2004, where many of Europe's finest riders were in action.

"Temple Ryefield turned Grade A in the middle of last summer and this was his first show since Olympia," explained Paul's mother, Mrs Lynne Barker.

"Paul had taken him there for the experience of a major show, but he only jumped on one day and then an abscess appeared in his foot and we had to pull him out."

Sunboy, a ten-year-old Paul has partnered for the past six years, was placed in the Puissance at Olympia.

Mrs Barker added: "Paul also won the Gents and Ladies class at Birchinley Manor arena last week with Sunboy, who is a pretty consistent horse.

"2004 wasn't good for Paul as he has so many horses out of action and he is hoping for a better year this time."