Sarah Cooke finished the year in style with a strong performance at the Horse Of The Year show.

Cooke, along with her ponies Bow and Arrow, finished second in the Osborne Refrigerators Double Harness Scurry event at the NEC in Birmingham.

And Cooke, who took the reserve champion title in the 10-strong field, was happy with her efforts, saying: "I think we performed well.

"We were very consistent throughout and were only beaten by one second.

"The ponies were on form and to get as close as we did was pleasing."

And Cooke, from Caddington, reserved a word of praise for eventual winner Jemma Millman who took the title on her pair of Pooh Bear and Piglet.

Cooke continued: "She deserved to win. You need to have a bit of luck as well, but it was well deserved."

She and her ponies will now have a few months off before resuming training next March.

She added: "The ponies can relax and eat as much as they want then it will be back to work for six weeks come March before competition starts again in April."

Meanwhile, a delighted Luton News photographer finished 12th in Section K at the BE90 one-day event at The College Esquestrian Centre in Keysoe.

Jane Russell, 45, pictured right, and five-year-old Boo, also known as Tregoyd Court Jester, let themselves down in the dressage but bounced back with some fine performance in the showjumping and cross-country in a section that boasted more than 30 competitors.

She said: "His dressage was worse than before. He just kept his head in the air.

"He was a bit lively in the dressage but the showjumping was causing huge problems for people. They were all scattering poles and being eliminated.

"He jumped the showjumping beautifully. The cross-country he was the best he has ever been – he was awesome."