Mrs Prilly Baron presented a cheque for £1000 to 11 year old Michael Hogdson who stepped forward on behalf of the British Young Drivers’ English and Welsh teams to receive the award from the HDT Development Trust. This money will be used to help fund the cost of sending the teams to the Junior World Trophy (23-27 July) Stadl Paura, Austria.

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From a starting point of 23 children who came forward for the selection process, 8 have now been chosen to represent England and 5 for Wales. British Young Drivers and the BHDTA between them, held 4 training and selection events where the children were taught new skills, were able to practice techniques and try out the unique marathon format of the competition. Anna Grayston( former National pony 4’s champion), team trainer said ”I am really impressed with the schooling the children have put in between training clinics and the improvements they have all made in the last few months.”

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English Team • Class 6 (17-18 years) Mark Bell, Rosanna Walter- Symons and Frank Campbell (Harriet Bradford- individual and travelling reserve) • Class 5 (15-16 years) Charlotte Snow, Katie Bell and James Gambs (Amber O’Neil - individual and travelling reserve) • Class 4 (13-14 years) Clare Campbell and Michael Hodgson

Welsh Team • Class 6 (17-18 years) Emily Ham and Alice Pritchard • Class 4 (13 -14 years) Alice Stables • Class 3 ( 11 – 12 years) Fleur Snow • Class 2 ( 9-10 years) Jay Snow

Chef d'Equipe Sara Howe (International Individual Bronze Medallist, pony singles 2007), is working hard to finalise the travel arrangements for all the competitors. Sara commented “team members come from all over the country so it is thank heavens for email, and also big thank yous to our feed sponsor Baileys and equipment sponsors Charles Owen. The show ground at Stadl Paura, Austria opens on Monday 21 July and competition starts on Thursday 24 for 4 days. The young drivers are very excited and it is a huge honour for them to represent their country.”

Caroline Douglas was the third member of the selection team and has assisted with the training and Sydney Smith has been a terrific source of advice.

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Young drivers have been fundraising since November 2008, Frank Campbell (British Young Drivers committee member) said” we would like to thank everyone who has helped us raise funds and given their time to the project, we are very grateful for all the support we have received. We are very pleased The HDT Development Trust has also awarded the team £1000.”

More details of the competition can be found at www.jwt08.com Any further offers of sponsor ship will be welcomed, for more information please contact campbells@ramsland.plus.com

English Team:

Mark Bell (18)
Mark has competed 4 indoor seasons and 3 outdoor seasons with great success, regularly beating adult competitors at club level in the open pony class. In 2007 he started driving his tandem which he has competed with at indoor and outdoor events. He was the indoor novice/ junior champion in 05/06/07 and 08, he has been competing at Escrick Park for 3 years winning the best dressage overall in '06 and '07.He won the BDS Voice Products scholarship in 2005.

Frank Campbell (17)
Frank started driving 5 years ago with a pony borrowed from his Granny. He encouraged his mother to put the old family pony into harness and together they made great progress. He has been successful indoors and at outdoor competitions with a variety of horses and ponies. He also grooms for Boyd Exell at national and international completions. Frank has a TASS driving scholarship for 2007/08

Rosanna Walters-Symons (16)
Rosanna started driving her mother’s successful Dartmoor pony Lightening when she was 9. Two years ago she got her current pony – Dabernon Tiger Woods, who had started his driving career as a show pony, but took well to the switch to horse driving trials. She has been successful for several years at Escrick winning her class in 2006 and taking home best dressage and best marathon prizes in other years. Rosanna was one of four juniors chosen for a TASS driving scholarship in 2007/08.

James Gambs(16)
James has competed indoors at Merrist wood, winning best junior many times and qualifying for the Indoor National Championships in a very competitive class. He has driven at club level at one and two day events winning competitions such as Ashfields novice pony class. He grooms for Dick Lane international four in hand driver at national and international competitions. Linda Hill is lending James her pony Mildred for the Junior World Trophy.

Charlotte Snow (16)
Charlotte qualified for the BDS championship 2006 and was 3rd at Burghley in the pleasure driving class. As well as showing she was East Anglian points league champion IHDT 2006 and 2007. She was also placed at the Indoor Championships in the junior section in 2006 and 2007.

Katie Bell (16)
Katie has done 3 indoor and outdoor seasons with her black Welsh pony Cobb. She has competed at the Junior Championships at Escrick Park for 3 years and has been very successful, winning the best overall dressage in 2005. She also won the BDS Voice Products scholarship in 2005, and she won the advanced class of the Ashfields Scholarship in 2007. At the championships she will be driving her new 12.2hh pony Sinbad.

Michael Hodgson (11)
Mike, from Congleton in Cheshire, started driving in 2007 when he realised that he would soon outgrow Shetlands. He first started back-stepping for Linda Rose and Brownie during the summer of 2007 and soon persuaded her to let him have a go on the reins. He competed at indoor trials from January 2008 and in March 2008 became the National Junior Intermediate Champion at the Indoor Driving National Finals, Bedfordshire. A member of CHDTG, he is consistently beating seniors both indoors and outdoors.

Clare Campbell (14)
Clare started driving when she was 9 and was soon competing outdoors in club competitions and is now an open level competitor indoors. She got a new pony, Chess, in November 2007 who is an experienced show pony having qualified for HOYS several years running. Chess has successfully switched careers and Clare came 2nd to Michael at Keysoe in March 2007.

Harriet Bradford (16)
Harriet has been driving since she was 14 and did her first event indoors in 2006. She competes outdoors in East Anglia and won their pre-novice championship last year. This year she is driving her 13.3 , 9 year old gelding Pip. She is competing as an individual and is travelling reserve for Austria.

Amber O’Neil (14)
Amber has been driving about 5 1/2 years, she has passed her B.D.S. Road Test, and B.D.S. Level 1. She is now working towards B.D.S. Level 2. She competed last winter at several indoor events around the country, and came 3rd at the Finals. She has also won the Iris Butcher Award for, The Most Improved Young Driver (Hampshire). She has recently acquired her own pony and continues to be passionate about her driving. She is competing as an individual and is travelling reserve for Austria.

Welsh Team

Alice Pritchard (18)
Alice has been driving since she was about 8 but didn't compete until she was 10. At the age of 12 Alice won BDS Junior Supreme Championship and went on to have a very successful career in the show ring. This season she is back-stepping for Judy Ralls at the World Para Championships as well as preparing her pony for Austria. Her pony Rowley is very versatile doing showing, disabled classes as well as this competition.

Emily Ham (18)
Emily has competed regularly over the years on the indoor driving circuit with a Shetland, a pair of dun ponies and her current welsh stallion – Jack. She has been Champion Junior whip at BDS numerous shows and won the Voice Products driving scholarship in 2006. She has also been successful in HDT club competitions outdoors.

Alice Stables (13)
Alice has been driving her Granny’s ponies since she was eight years old and has attended many junior camps. She has competed successfully at local shows and mini events at club level and last winter competed in the IHDT in 2 regions, gaining a place at Keysoe for the finals. Last autumn she went to Escrick for the junior championship where she led her class after dressage and cones but came 2nd to Fleur after the obstacles.

Fleur Snow (11)
Fleur was under 13 champion at Escrick in 2007 She takes part in both showing and pleasure driving as well as HDT competitions and has attended more than 10 junior clinics.

Jay Snow (9)
Jay takes part in showing and pleasure driving classes as well as competing at indoor driving events. He has been to 8 junior camps. He has been working hard with his pony, Ben, to qualify for Austria.