Northumberland girl among winners at the Royal Windsor Tetrathlon

Katie Cessford, 15, from Ford, was selected by Northern England coordinator Liz Wilkinson to be one of three individuals on a team to represent the region.

Tetrathlon is a team and individual sport competition made up of the four disciplines – shooting, swimming, running and cross country horse riding. It’s a variant of the Olympic Modern Pentathlon.

Members of The Pony Club from across the UK train for these competitions under different classes. Each year, the club is invited to compete in Tetrathlon at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, in which eight teams represent regions of the UK.

Katie and her horse, Grove Loki, from the North Northumberland Hunt, along with team members Charlie Hall, from the Cumberland Farmers Hunt (South), and Annabel Lupton, from Bedale & West of Yore Hunt, won the junior event with a score of 13,099, after taking the advantage with their performance in the horse riding discipline.

Katie was also one of six individuals out of 24 who scored a maximum of 1400 points for the ride section.

Ford & Etal Estates sponsored Katie to help get her to Windsor.

Lord Joicey said: “The late Lady Joicey was a regular there, in her capacity as an international dressage rider and judge, and it would be fitting if we could continue the association in some way. She would be delighted beyond words to know that a representative of the NNPC, of which she was DC for many years, had been invited to take part in this.”

Katie’s mum, Emma, said: "I’m just chuffed for Katie and her team members who really showcased the Pony Club and themselves over the whole weekend.

“It wouldn’t have been possible without Northern England coordinator Liz Wilkinson, whose dedication to the Pony Club Tetrathlon is truly amazing – she has given the children an amazing opportunity – and chief instructor of NNHPC Emma Haigh, who ensured Katie and Loki, were Windsor ready to tackle anything put in front of them.”

Katie extends her gratitude to her running coach, Henry Gray, Kelso Amateur Swimming Club, Iain Aberdeen from Newcastle Fencing Club, Henny Cooper, North Northumberland Pony Club, Ford & Etal Estates and the George Crawford Legacy Trust.