ALDBROUGH St John-based rider Laura Ritchie-Bland made the long trip to the Necarne International Horse Trials in Northern Ireland payoff, when she finished in the money competing against a determined home entry.

A strong British contingent made the trip to the event, which staged everything from a Pony three-day event to a CIC three-star senior section, and they were in fine form, winning two major titles and coming home with several good placings.

Laura, 16 and an A-level student at Barnard Castle School, was in action in the CCNP Pony three-day event with her 14.2hh bay gelding Russelstown Prince and was making her Necarne debut.

“They have fantastic facilities at Necarne – it was nice to be able to park and plug in the electrics – and the dressage and show jumping were both held on all weather surfaces,”

said mother Hazel Ritchie-Bland.

“Laura was lying second after dressage, but slipped down to sixth after cross country, where she jumped a good clear but had 5.6 time penalties. The course has an allweather surface under the ground but they still had to take out two fences and the hills were more like black ski runs.”

Laura was able to climb back up into an excellent third place with a faultless round in the final show jumping phase, finishing just behind fellow Brits Fran Reeve and Sophie Martin.

“The show jumping course proved more difficult than we thought it would – the surface was a bit dead and the time was tight and lots were having problems,” Mrs Ritchie- Bland added.

“It was great to be at the event with all the riders who’d taken part in the FEI Pony Trial series over the season and the British riders spirits were really lifted as they swept the board, taking first to fifth places.”

Laura will now go to the Weston Park International three-day event in Shropshire in early October, where she has been selected for the Northern team in the final of the Junior Regional Novice Championship series, for riders aged 18 or under.

“She will then have to move on to horses and Russelstown Prince will have to be sold,” Mrs Ritchie-Bland concluded. “We are not looking forward to him going, but Laura is more than ready for the move on to horses.”