A DARLINGTON equestrian family had a near miss when a harness racing horse bolted from the ring at last week's Royal Welsh Show.

Mrs Alyson Carr of Clova House Farm, Coatham Mundeville, was strolling along with her mother, Mrs Audrey Tremewan, and her sons Tom, aged six, and four-year-old Will at the time.

"There was a collision in the main ring between the harness racers and a horse got loose, " she said. "It hit a car and then mowed over Will's push chair. Thankfully he wasn't strapped in and the impact of the collision ejected him from his seat. It all happened very quickly and it was a miracle he wasn't badly injured."

Unfortunately her mother was hit and is still nursing badly bruised and scraped legs.

Mrs Carr's nine-year-old mare Cwmpernant Tywysoges, which was in hand supreme champion at Durham County Show, also won the Welsh Section C championship, the Supreme Welsh championship, the NPS silver medal and the Glyn Greenwood qualifier at Durham.

She then went on to claim an excellent top ten place in the highly competitive Section C barren mare class at the Royal Welsh.