A YOUNG rider from Hurworth is celebrating after taking first place in a national show jumping championship.

Samantha McNicholas, 15, saw off competition from 87 other riders to win her class at the Winter Blue Chip Championships held in Solihull, near Birmingham, last Saturday.

The year 11 pupil at Hurworth School Maths and Computing College picked up the Kitt Junior Novice Championship title after riding a triple clear on her nine-year-old bay mare Dinki Diva.

The pair recorded a time of 34.21sec in the second jump-off to win by 0.03sec.

Samantha, who started riding before she was a year old, won her place in the championships after beating other local riders in a qualifying round at Richmond Equestrian Centre.

Her trainer Joanne West said: "She rode brilliantly and has worked really hard for the competition so I'm delighted she's done so well. All she's ever wanted to do is ride and work with horses."

Natalie Stockill, from Pickering, finished fifth in the same competition on Murphy's Irish Clover