THE sun shone brightly on the British Show Pony Society Summer Championships last week and for two sisters from Great Ayton, fortune shone even brighter.

Bethany and Maisie Hill, aged 11 and 6 respectively, qualified for several classes at the annual championships, held at Arena UK in Grantham, throughout the course of the last year.

Bethany with her Show Pony Thirkleby Easter Parade (aka Paddy) and Maisie with her Welsh Section A Abbeybells Father Francis, (aka Frankie) accumulated a substantial selection of rosettes, throughout the week, but last Friday young Paddy, partnered by Bethany and in just his second year of showing under saddle, took the championship and title of Blue Riband Home Produced Pony of the Year.

Equally impressive, younger sister Maisie, partnered by Frankie, who has been a part of the family since he was just six months old, went on to finish the week off nicely on Saturday afternoon, by taking yet another championship and becoming the overall Black Country Saddles Mini Rider of the Year, for the second consecutive year.