THE North Eastern Counties Welsh Pony and Cob Association held its recent spring show outdoors for the first time due to the need for larger rings and the increased number of entries.

The venue, Streatlam Farm near Barnard Castle, provided easy access from the A1 and M6, with exhibitors travelling from Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria.

Judges Geraint Davies and Gillian Sells choose the Tymor stud's Tymor Pele as their supreme champion. The nine-year-old stallion from West Yorkshire proved a worthy winner.

Pele also took the NPS Kilmannan silver medal championship, but as owner Scott Gibbons did not have his membership card, the ticket went to Mrs Newall's eight-year-old Fell mare Dene Refine, winner of the Mountain and Moorland section.

Reserve supreme Welsh champion went to Mrs Kim Money's young stallion Milford Fair Kestrel, while the supreme Welsh youngstock championship was won by the yearling section C Kirkhamgate Mr Cool, owned by Dawn Gant from West Yorkshire and produced by her partner, Paul.

Elaine Ferguson from Whitley Bay won both the youngstock championship and the overall section A championship with her yearling colt Brierdene Newsflash, produced by her 14-year-old daughter.

Marilyn Richard's homebred two-year-old filly Wellbank Vienna took the reserve youngstock and overall championships. The section B youngstock champion was beautifully produced by Karen Shield. Laithehill Savannah was given the nod over Mr and Mrs Kevin Stewart's yearling colt Elvet Challenger.

The section C overall championship was taken by Ronnie McNeal's youngest son Stuart with Trernymor Carly's Delight, while the section D youngstock championship was won by Mrs P Hart's outstanding three-year-old filly Mycatlilly Lady in Red.

The Welsh Pony and Cob Society ridden performance medal was hotly contested and entrants included a best of breed at Olympia and a HOYS qualifier.

The overall championship was given to the section C class winner, Neuaddpare Welsh Model, produced by Alison Hibbert and ridden by Gemma Paxford. Reserve champion Talachddu Celebrity Son was beautifully ridden by April Hugill.

For the first time the spring show held a full range of ridden PUK Association qualifiers and the entries exceeded the committee's wildest dreams.

Sixteen ponies contested the lead rein, headed by Hayley Henderson riding the Dartmoor, Breamish Julian. This pairing also took the confined novice Kingsford small breeds.

The first ridden was won by the section B Krypton Mr Chips, ridden by Natalie Vincent from Middlesbrough, while the Dalkeith junior ridden large breeds was taken by the section C Estoro Blush, ridden by Robbie Haw.

The overall NPS silver medal championship was taken by Sophie Staveley on the local bred Foulsyke Royal Velvet.

Velvet's travelling partner Broughton Dictator, ridden by Mrs Shackleton, took the novice Kingsford large breeds and the Dales Kilmannan Sapphire took the open, ridden by Nicola Gregory.