SARAH WATKINS and her horse Mystic Echo have qualified for the prestigious Horse Of The Year Show, held at the N.E.C., Birmingham in October.

Sarah,16, qualified for the top event by achieving top marks at the Search for a Star horse show at the Hand Equestrian Centre in Clevedon.

The competition is designed to give amateur riders an opportunity to compete at The Horse of the Year Show and to identify top class horses and ponies which otherwise may not be given the chance to compete at such a high level.

"I'm really, really pleased," said Sarah, who will put her 15-year-old horse into foal after the competition.

Sarah has also received top tips from the legendary Pippa Funell and Australian Matt Ryan.

Sarah and Mystic Echo recently won the Open Working Hunter class at Coates show, and took the Championship too.

At Slimbridge show they won the Working Hunter Class and the Show Hunter Class, and they were in the Berkeley Hunt Pony Club Showjumping team at Gatcombe Horse Trials where the team came third out of 27 teams.

Sarah would also like to thank equine dentist Tracey James.