Girls riding the crest of a wave

READY to compete . . . Indi the horse with (from left) Becky Tonge, Ellie Prior, Sarah Blackman and Emma Bland

A QUARTET of talented showjumpers are hoping to gallop off with first prize at a national competition.

The riders from Foxdenton Riding School and Livery Yard in Chadderton, will tackle the jumps of the Trailblazer Finals at Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, near Coventry, on Thursday.

Emma Bland (14), from Chadderton, will join Sarah Blackman (19) and Ellie Prior (15), from Middleton and Becky Tonge (16), from Rochdale, at the four-day finals after successfully making it through the qualifying rounds.

The girls have been taught by riding school owner Claire Richardson.

They are all are looking forward to putting their horses and themselves to the test against hundreds of other competitors from across the UK.

Sarah said: “We’ve all been training for between two months and two years with Claire.

“We all want to do well and we’re definitely going for gold.”

Becky said: “The horses can do it and we’ve been trained to do the best we can.”

Claire Richardson, who runs the riding school with her mother Anne Richardson, said: “They have a very good chance of winning but it is luck on the day.

“I just want them to do well and to enjoy themselves.”