THE North-East will be riding high on television next month when the region's Stepney Bank Stables is featured in a ten-part series.

Cameras from Prism Entertainment spent from last June to September filming the children who take part in the Newcastle city centre riding school's Funky Fools And Horses group, for Children's BBC.

The Stables will be shown twice a day during half-term week, when youngsters will be seen working with the stable's 16 horses and ponies alongside proprietor Susan Tron, who runs the charity venture with Paula Easton.

Kate Pappas, a researcher for Prism, said: "Things went so well that we decided to buy a horse called Solo for Stepney Bank and there are discussions taking place about possibly filming a second series this summer."

The Byker children, aged between eight and 12, formed the Funky Fools and Horses club themselves and visit the stables two or three times a week.

Episodes will show youngsters taking the animals to the beach, competing in their first horse show, meeting a horse whisperer, visiting a summer camp at Blackwell Mill and holding their own Shetland grand national.

Ms Pappas said: "One of our producers heard about a riding school in the centre of a city and discovered how interesting the children are and decided it would be a fascinating idea for a series of programmes. At the moment, The Stables are set to be shown on daytime TV from February 16."

Other stars of the show will be Gem, a chestnut pony which is afraid of plastic bags; Spangle, a tubby ginger pony and Rosie and Appleby the naughty Shetland ponies.

Published: 09/01/2004