WAREHAM rider Flora Lickiss enjoyed a great opening to her British eventing season when she took the prize for Top Junior Rider in the under-21 intermediate section at Aldon in Yeovil.

Lickiss, who is still just 17, beat many of the country’s top young riders to finish in third place in the hotly-contested section.

The teenager and her horse, George V, have had a successful three years at under-18 level, with highlights including representing the South West twice at the Junior Championships in Shropshire and being part of an under-18 squad that travelled to Haras le Pin in France to compete in the One Star class.

They will now be competing in the Under-18 Junior European Trials which are being held over the next two months, while they have already met the qualification criteria to compete at the Junior Championships in May.

On her success at Aldon, she said: “I was disappointed with our dressage score as George was on his toes and not really concentrating.

“We also had one pole down in the show jumping which was a shame, but he was absolutely awesome in the cross country and flew round a very bold yet technical track, and that really pulled us up the placings.

“I would really like to thank the organisers for a wonderful event and also my sponsors, Anglotown Property Management, for their faith in me.”