A RIDING school which was forced to shut because of the foot-and-mouth crisis has bounced back with a show which surpassed all expectations yesterday.

The Backandside Riding Centre, at Hummerbeck, near West Auckland, needed a good turn-out for its first show since the epidemic.

Vince Williams, who runs the centre with his business partner, Jackie Moffett, said: "It was a fabulous success. We filled every class and must have had in excess of 120 entrants on the day.

"I was totally open-minded, but I catered for as many people as I could. The closer the day got the more interest and phone calls I got and I was expecting a maximum of 50.

"But it was a really good turn-out and a fabulous advert for the rest of the year."

Mr Williams had to cancel three shows last year and access to the riding centre, which is via a bridle path, was closed.

Mr Williams said: "All of the money we had saved from our first year in business had to go back into the horses to keep us going.

"It was vitally important we had a successful first show. We spent a lot of money staging the thing, what with all the various agencies and we had to hire toilets, sound systems and catering wagons."

Mr Williams was pleased with the success of the show, but said the most important aspect was the prospect that people would come back for future events.

He said: "The kids have gone away singing the praises of the show and, hopefully, they will all come back later in the year with their pals.

"I really want to thank all the competitors who turned up and all the people who popped in to have a look. I hope everybody had a good time."

Results:

Tack and turnout eight and under, Sophie Deighton; Riding class eight and under, Sophie Deighton; Tack and turnout nine to 15, Mima Wilson; riding class nine to 15, Rachel Metcalfe; tack and turnout open, Sarah Sumner; novice showjumping, Mark Briggs; novice riding class, Anna Wallace; pre-novice, Rachel Gibson; novice, Rachel Gibson; top score (accumulated), Brad Vaux.