Pony Club member wins countryside writing award

A Pony Club member from Herefordshire is celebrating after winning the first Countryside Alliance award for young writers — with an account of a day’s hunting.

Georgina Archer, 13, from Bridge Sollars, impressed the judges with her evocative descriptions of hunting her Connemara, Benny, with the Golden Valley and the bond she shares with her pony.

She recounted “mad days of hunting and leaping around, racing friends on the hunting field and galloping around with hounds in our beautiful British countryside”.

Her prize, as winner of the Young Countryside Writer competition, is a day out at the CLA Game Fair at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, in July.

The judges — including former H&H editor, Michael Clayton — said they felt that Georgie wrote as though much older than her years.

Countyside Alliance chairman Sir Barney White-Spunner said it was “very encouraging” that the entrants’ love of country life was so strong.

“It seems the countryside will be in safe hands,” he added.

In second place was Thomas Perkins, a 13-year-old gamekeeper’s son from Kent, who wrote about his love of shooting and ferreting — and cooking the results.

Third placed Emily Churchill, 12, described life on her grandfather’s farm near Tiverton, Devon.

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