A BARTESTREE horse rider has won a prestigious equine event at her first attempt.

Lucy Goodman has won the Petplan Equine Medium Bronze Championship riding seven-year-old Dutch-born mare named Freya V.

After qualification in Autumn 2016 the pair spent the winter preparing for the prestigious Petplan Equine Area Festival Championships held at Hartpury College earlier this month.

The partnership impressed the judges achieving a combination winning score of 70.05 per cent.

Lucy added her name to the illustrious roll of honour on her first Championship appearance.

She said: “I’m so happy and shocked, I felt it was a good test but wasn’t expecting it to be that good!

"Freya V is the perfect size for me as I am not very tall, the first time I rode her she felt so capable. It was nice to ride a horse with so much ability. I’d struggled with horsepower before, but she has changed that.

"Freya has a lot of ability, she’s very excitable but genuine at the same time."

Kate Hopkins, Marketing Executive at Petplan Equine added: “The Area Festivals have been a huge success and we want as many riders as possible to experience the thrill of competing in championship-style conditions, so we are encouraging all grassroots riders to aim for the stars! We would especially like to congratulate Lucy and Freya V on their fantastic win and wish her the very best of luck for the future.”

Further information about the Petplan Equine Area Festivals and how to qualify for next year’s finals is available at: www.petplanequine.co.uk/area-festivals/