TEN-YEAR-OLD Emily Stead and her new partner Friars Santa have enjoyed a brilliant season so far.

They have picked up five firsts, two championships and one reserve, qualifying for several classes at the Peterborough Ponies UK championships and the National Pony Society championships at Malvern.

Emily, who lives at Middlemoor Farm, Hudswell, has been loaned five-year-old Santa by Mr and Mrs C G Franks from Barwick Farm, Ingleby Barwick. Their daughter, Harriet, won the lead rein class with the pony at the North Eastern Counties Welsh Pony and Cob Association show in January.

Emily's mother, Mrs Sharon Stead, said her daughter is a member of the Zetland Pony Club and regularly hunts with the Zetland.

"She rides every evening after school no matter how bad the weather, even in winter, so I am really pleased she is having so much success in the show ring."

The family have been able to get to only three shows because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak and are having to travel much further afield than usual to find Horse of the Year Show qualifiers.

"In August alone we are going to Lancashire, Edinburgh, Malvern and Peterborough," said Mrs Stead.

Last year, Emily qualified for Wembley riding a pony called Silver Silhouette, owned by Mrs N Morrison.