SPEEDY teenager Rebecca Rennison is on the final lap of a contest to be named the best young sports star in Yorkshire.

The 14-year-old Northallerton motorcyclist is pitted against three other finalists in the Yorkshire Sports Awards 2003.

Sport England has teamed up with the region's local BBC radio stations for the annual awards scheme.

Rebecca fought off some tough competition from around the region to take her place in the final for the girls under-16 category.

Rebecca, from Morton-on-Swale, has been riding competitively in motorcycle trials for four years.

During that time she has gone from strength to strength - becoming the British Ladies Champion for her age group and finishing third and fourth in the European Championships.

She was also recently selected as a member of the team to support the England squad at international events.

Hambleton's head of leisure and tourism Dave Goodwin said: "This is a fantastic achievement for Rebecca.

"There is a huge amount of sporting talent in Hambleton - and not just in the run-of-the-mill sports. Rebecca's drive and enthusiasm is showing how much can be achieved in all sports. We wish her good luck for the award finals."

The awards will be made at Harrogate Conference Centre next week.