MONTHS of hard work paid off when a team of five girls from the Spooners and West Dartmoor Pony Club travelled to Wadebridge to take part in the Area Championships of the Prince Philip Cup.
The day started at the crack of dawn with all the ponies being shampooed and brushed till they shone. This paid off with a third place rosette in the tack and turnout competition, when even the underneath of the riders' boots are inspected!
The Prince Philip Cup is a team gymkhana with eight different races where both speed and accuracy are important. For instance, asking your pony to gallop to a cone then stand still while the rider tries to put a tennis ball on top is always tricky. Doing it in a gale with cold, wet hands was very testing.
The girls did really well, getting through to the final in all but two races. They worked well as a team and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Teams from all over Great Britain take part, with the six best fighting it out at the Horse of the Year Show. Spooners achieved a creditable fourth place and are already talking about next year!