Amateur rider 'thrilled' to qualify for horse show

Blaze and her owner Beth Jones have earned a place at this year's Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham

An amateur rider from Lancashire said she was "over the moon" to have qualified for one of Britain's biggest horse shows.

Beth Jones and Height End's Quiet Man - nicknamed Blaze - will compete at October's Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in Birmingham.

Blaze, a traditional gypsy cob, was runner-up in the SEIB Search for a Star competition which offers amateur riders the opportunity to compete at the prestigious annual show.

Ms Jones, from Rawtenstall, said she and Blaze had "worked really hard" since they missed out on qualification last year by only one place.

'Not a one-trick pony'

Ms Jones, 31, has owned Blaze for seven years since he was two.

She said: "When you're involved in the showing world, HOYS is the biggest and best that you can aim for, so we were over the moon when he qualified."

The event, which has been running since 1949, is the finale to the showing year and is held at the NEC in Birmingham.

To secure a prized spot, Ms Jones and Blaze had to take part in five shows with 20-25 people in each class.

She said it was "just incredible" to have qualified.

"I keep Blaze at home on our working farm, so we put in as much practice as we can," she said.

"You spend masses of time with them with the training, and you've got to trust them as much as they trust you, so there's a massive bond there."

Ms Jones said Blaze was "essentially what people would imagine - a strong, thickset, sturdy pony".

She added: "They usually pull the bow-top wagons - which he also does - to and from Appleby Horse Fair as carthorses.

"They're very much a farmer's type horse but they can turn to anything - they're a really versatile breed and people have realised they're not just a one-trick pony!"