MOST children his age will be spending the summer playing outside with friends or making sandcastlse with buckets and spades at the seaside.

But five-year-old James Airlie, from Stanley, County Durham, who has been riding from the age of two, will be competing at the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead.

He qualified with his pony, Cosford Vanity Fair, at a meeting of the British Show Pony Society in Preston.

The Royal International Horse Show is one of the oldest horse shows in the world, having celebrated its centenary in 2007.

It is also one of the biggest outdoor shows in the country which sees the elite of many equestrian disciplines compete side by side.

James’ father, Andrew Airlie, said: “James loves riding and looking after his ponies. He enjoys getting red rosettes after competitions, though the bag of sweets he won when he qualified for Hickstead seemed to impress him more.”

The reception pupil at Dame Allan’s Schools in Newcastle will be competing against at least 30 other competitors up to the age of nine years old

Andrew Edge, headteacher of Dame Allan’s Junior School, said: “Qualifying for the show is such a brilliant achievement for James.

“We are really proud of him and we are looking forward to hearing all about what Hickstead is like from a competitor’s point of view.”