Brilliant Pippa is blazing a trail.

Byline: Equestrian 

Teesside rider Pippa Allen has made a tremendous start to the season.

In only four Horse of the Year qualifiers, she has managed to progress all five of her ponies for the 128cms and 138cms Hoys show in October.

Pippa, a pupil at Red House School in Norton, won the Pony of the Year Show on Silver Wonder, which was televised by Sky TV.

The 11-year-old from Thornaby was featured on Sky again, winning at Olympia with her sister's pony Corralass.

Pippa, an English team member, won two golds and individual gold and silver for her country last year.

She has also qualified four ponies for the Royal International at Hickstead this month.

Also qualifying for the Horse of the Year are Lingdale-based Dan and Laura Neilson, both pupils at Freebrough School. They both qualified their ponies at Northallerton Premier show at the weekend.

Dan, 15, rides Micklow Madness, a 148cms pony which has also qualified for the Royal show next week.

Laura 13, won the 138cms Hoys qualifier with her pony Tantassaig Sandy.

All the children are taught at Stainsby Grange in Thornaby by Peter Allen.

Meanwhile, Northallerton-based rider Danielle Coulson claimed victory in one of the North's top endurance competitions, the 84km Wharncliffe Chase Ride near Sheffield.

Danielle led from early in the ride on her 15hh bay gelding Euphoria's Quest, who is of unusual 3/4 Standardbred bloodlines, a breed best known as racing trotters.

"We got to the second veterinary gate, or examination, with two other horses but they were both vetted out," she explained. "That meant I had to go out on my own and we eventually won by a distance at an average speed of 18.5kph."

Danielle keeps her three horses on the North Yorkshire Moors, which provides an ideal training ground for long-distance competition. Her other horses included a pure Standardbred, JR's Replica, who came to her off the harness racing track and was "skin and bones" then.

He has improved immensely since and gained a top grade one award at his first endurance ride.