BSJA area 12 kicks off its season at Todburn Equestrian Centre

Glorious weather brought out the junior competitors to Todburn Equestrian Centre, Northumberland for BSJA area 12’s first fixture of 2008.

Nine-year-old Charlotte Ash and her six-year-old novice pony Gormagus Ban opened the proceedings with a win in the starter stakes ahead of Emma Burns and the grey pony My Cherry B.

Nine ponies contested the small pony open with Jessica Ball first to go in the jump-off on the seven-year-old DJ’s Diamond followed by Malandra Hale, 14, from Middlesbrough, who took a very economical route on Mr Tupman to win the class ahead of Jessica’s second ride Spider’s Dance.

Clear rounds were at a premium in the junior British novice with only two ponies making it into the jump-off. Becky Ross was first to go on her black mare Silver Bullet. An unfortunate pole at the first fence was still enough, however, to take the class from Jessica Baird and the steady True Bud.

The in-form Jessica Ball scooped the discovery/90cm open on DJ’s Diamond, a pony who she hunts with the Morpeth, leaving the forward-going coloured pony Perfect Puzzle and Amy Ion in second place.

Abby Davison (pictured) and the consistent Ocean Breeze flew round to win the RugCo sponsored junior newcomers/1m open with a fast double clear leaving Dan Thompson and his new ride, the six-year-old Brightwood Galaxy, in second place, Jessica Ball (Spider’s Dance) in third and Sophie Faddy (Rocktops Roan Robbie) fourth.

Fortunes, however, were reversed in the junior Foxhunter/1.10m open when Dan took one of his three original rides, the Connemara pony Carramore Champ, through the jump-off clear in a good time leaving last to go Ocean Breeze with it all to do. With over 2sec in hand, it would have been enough to take the class but at the expense of two poles Dan took pole position from Abby Davison.

RESULTS

Junior newcomers/1m

1, Ronnie Davison’s Ocean (Abbey Davison) 0/0

2, Selby Friar’s Brightwood Galaxy (Dan Thompson) 0/0

3, J Ball’s Spiders Dance (Jessica Ball) 4

www.bsjanortheast.co.uk

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now