TEN-YEAR-OLD April Hugill beat all her older rivals as she rode to victory at the Great Yorkshire Show.

The youngster from Manor Farm, Great Busby, near Stokesley, picked up the winner's trophy for a first-class performance in the side-saddle class, even though she was the youngest competitor in the class.

Competing for the first time at the Great Yorkshire, April and her seven-year-old 12.1hh pony Talachddu Celebrity Son took on adults up to 25 years old riding up to a maximum horse height of 15.1hh.

April, who has ridden since she was 18 months old, has already bagged 15 firsts, four championships and two National Pony Society silver medals at other shows this year. She is a former winner at Ponies UK and has qualified for six classes in this year's event in August.

Mum Janette, herself a keen horsewoman, also competed in the side-saddle class when she was a teenager.

She told the D&S Times: "April has done a lot better than I ever did in that class. I entered only once when I was around 14 or 15, but only managed to come sixth."