Millie qualifies for national contest (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Millie qualifies for national contest

3:31pm Friday 15th February 2013 in Sport

James Stevenson

THORNABY showjumper Millie Allen has qualified for July’s Fairfax Winter JA Classic Championship.

The 15-year-old, competing at Ingliston Equestrian Centre in Bishopton, topped the standings in both the third and fourth qualifiers.

On the first day Millie and her horse, Song Girl, were one of only three combinations to achieve a treble clear.

Having made the top six and the final jump off, Millie, on board her father Peter’s 10- year-old bay mare, topped the leaderboard with a time of 43.28 seconds.

The teenager returned to post her second treble clear of the class on another of her father’s horses, Scoubidou IV.

Her time of 49.12 seconds was enough to land her, and the 15-year-old gelding, third place just behind Charlie Dawson on Maradonna.

However, having already qualified the qualification place was given to the next placed rider Emma Shingles.

The following day, Allen, who lives at Stainsby Grange Equestrian Centre, returned to action on Song Girl and set about repeating her feats of 24 hours previously.

Four of the 21 starting combinations made it to the jump off, including Millie, and once again she lead the way.

Her third treble clear of the weekend, in a time of 35.78 seconds, secured her top spot as she edged another 15-yearold, Amy Inglis from West Sussex, by just over two seconds.

Once again as Allen had already qualified the place went to Inglis instead.

Millie’s mother Paula said: “She’s had Song Girl since it was five and it was a novice pony. Now it’s ten.

“We’re all very pleased the pony is on form and hopefully in contention at these meetings.

“Millie is incredibly cool under pressure, very dedicated to what she is doing and they are both going from strength to strength.”

The youngster’s latest success follows on from January when she won the opening Fairfax qualifier at South View Equestrian Centre in Winsford.

Last year Allen, whose older sister Pippa is on the world equestrian circuit, won individual and team Gold at the Pony European Championships at Fontainebleau in France.

This lead to the Red House School pupil being named Female Teesside School Sports Personality of the year at the end of 2012.

Allen will now hope to be in contention for the top prize of the newly-developed Fairfax Jump saddle at the British Masters International Horse Show between July 4 and 7 before going off to defend her European titles at Arezzo in Italy nine days later.