WITTON Castle Horse Trials attracted nearly 700 entries, the largest field for many years, for the annual event at the end of September.

It tested riders and their mounts in dressage, show jumping and cross-country disciplines.

Olympic riders Jeanette Brakewell, Ian Stark and Andrew Nicholson, together with North-East competitors Angus Smales, Joanne Little, Claire Pinkney, Jamie Atkinson and Sarah Deary made it an exciting spectacle.

The event raised £2,000 for St Teresa's Hospice, Darlington; £500 for the Mark Davis Injured Riders' Fund and £1,500 for the Medical Response Team in Darlington.

A trophy was presented in memory of rider Polly Phillips, who was killed during an event in Scotland in 1999.

Results. - Pre-novice section A: 1 Tracey Kibler; 2 Ruth Friend; 3 Katherine Wycks. Pre-novice section B: 1 Sally Robinson; 2 Janine Kemp; 3 Gemma Harris. Pre-novice section C: 1 Tracy Garside; 2 David Wadge; 3 Katherine Mellor.

Riding Club/PC section D: 1 Katherine Mellor; 2 Jennifer Tweddall; 3 William Sommerville. Novice section E: 1 Helen Foulds; 2 Ruth Friend; 3 Julie Robinson. Novice section F: 1 Terry Boon; 2 Hayley Rose; 3 Annelise Clements. Novice section G: 1 Martin Arnott; 2 Ruth Friend; 3 David Herron. Novice section H: 1 Terry Boon; 2 Jeanette Brakewell; 3 Lucy A Wiegersma. Novice section J: 1 Francis Whittington; 2 Lucy A Wiegersma; 3 Catherine Wensley.

Section K advanced: 1 Caroline Pratt; 2 Ian Stark; 3 Michael Owen.

Intermediate section L: 1 Jeremy Spring; 2 Brook R Staples; 3 Anna Warnecke. Intermediate section M: 1 Sarah Allwood; 2 Brook R Staples; 3 Jenny A Close.

Open intermediate section N: 1 John Marsden; 2 Dickon Carus; 3 Christopher J Bartle