JUNIOR riders travelled from far and wide to compete in the junior premier show held at Stainsby Grange EC, Thornaby, recently.

The event, organised by Paula and Peter Allen, featured excellent courses designed by Walter Taylor, assisted by Brian Candler.

James Reveley, grandson of racehorse trainer Mary Reveley of Lingdale, came out tops in the winter 138cm second round to clinch his ticket for the Royal International at Hickstead in July.

Riding the 13-year-old Spirit of Boadicea, he really cut the corners with a jockey's gallop to the finish. Trained by Paul Barker from Northallerton, James set the target time of 26.35secs and also qualified by finishing sixth with Lynn Barker's Double Dominic. The previous week, James clinched a ticket for Solihull on Will Palmer's Glencoes Trick or Treat.

Runner-up was Barnard Castle's Adam Valks, who was 0.46secs behind on his mother Janet's ten-year-old Golden Fortune. Adam also won the 128/138cm handicap with Royal Declan, which had qualified for Hickstead at South View, while Sarah Needham on the same stable's Diego III clinched the Solihull qualifier.

Daniel Neilson from Loftus took a good fourth place riding Guinness Special, which won the South View qualifier. Daniel, who will be representing Great Britain at the Classique Junior Show at Johannesburg during the Easter weekend, was runner-up in the first day's 128/138cm.

Sally Jayne Adams from Stockton was runner-up in the winter JC second round, narrowly beaten by Daniel Moseley on the August Silk winning mount Saving Grace.

Sally, trained by her brother James and Joanne Tanfield, will be making her second appearance in the final after having an unlucky four faults last year with the seven-year-old Irish-bred Baskin Ilex.

The third place went to Durham's Jade Pringle riding Forge Freeway.

Jodie Ward took the final ticket riding the seven-year-old Connemara pony Riversale St Emillion, while Daniel Neilson just missed out on the tickets with Micklow Madness.

Jodie had put in a great challenge in the earlier AK Horseboxes Winter Classic to clinch her ticket for the Royal Show with her new pony Spot the Lady. She was just pipped by Sophie Broome, niece of former Olympic rider David Broome.

Helen Smallwood put in a good challenge to be runner-up in the final day's handicap and went one better to clinch the national 128cm championship on the evergreen Metric, while Whitby's Joe Harland riding Grey Guy clinched the national 138cm championship.

Brad Valks was runner-up in the Stainsby Welcome Stakes riding Kitsmill Galaxy, just pipped by Coral Mowbray riding Colourcode