VETERAN Mike Thompson, from Barnard Castle, was one of 150 competitors who travelled from all corners of the UK to the Kawasaki BHS hunter trial championships at Newbury in Berkshire.

He secured third spot in the UK novice finals on Achilles, who won the best Mountain and Moorland award.

Mike started riding at the age of 60 and showed spectators at the finals that he has no intention of taking life easy, also taking part in the pairs event with Caroline Rushton under the team name Derwen Dragons.

Helen Robshaw, from Guisborough, rode Tassell Dah to take the runner-up spot in the Dodson and Horrell novice section, where the title was won by Sue Eden from the Isle of Wight.

BHS competition secretary Anne Burns said: "There's no other event like this in the UK. There's a real magic about it with amateur riders getting the chance to compete in a national final.

"We're delighted to have been able to put it on despite the setbacks caused by foot-and-mouth during the first half of the year."