CROSS country training will be much easier for children in the Spooners and West Dartmoor Hunt branch of the Pony Club, thanks to a £1,500 grant.

The grant, which has come from West Devon Borough Council, will be used to buy some portable cross country fences.

At the moment the children and their ponies have to travel to places such as Winkleigh for cross country training. The purchase of the portable jumps will mean some of the training can now be done at the club's base at Monkswell Farm.

The training is vital for children who wish to compete in the disciplines of horse trails and tetrathlon.

The Spooners branch has an excellent record in tetrathlon.

Both local Modern Pentathlon Olympic medallists Kate Allenby and Heather Fell learned their skills as members of the Spooners tetrathlon team.