Sisters Jennifer and Zoe Newsham, of Denton, near Ilkley, are making their mark in a big way in the showjumping world.

Jennifer, a 14-year-old pupil at the Girls' Grammar School, Bradford, won the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) 14 hands high open Royal International Horse Society (RIHS) working hunter class at the Dove Valley Spring Festival at Marchington, near Uttoxeter.

This was a keenly-contested class with nearly 30 competitors from all over the country jumping a technical, full-height course. Jennifer jump-ed a fabulous round and went on to give a good performance in her show and hand sections.

There were many decent competitors in the line-up, including runner-up Emily Taylor's Oscar Charles, Jennifer handing the BSPS 2002 supreme champion her first defeat of the campaign

She competed on an eight-year-old Connemara cross pony Abbie bought two years ago from Ireland.

The duo have spent many hours together, developing the flat work and learning jumping, progressing from novice working hunter classes to the opens and then to the two big qualifying competitions - the Royal International at Hickstead in July and the Horse of the Year Show at the NEC, Birmingham in September.

Jennifer is thrilled to secure her ticket for Hickstead so early in the season and at only her second qualifying competition - she was fifth in the first at Keysoe in Bedfordshire.

Ten-year-old Zoe, currently at Moorfield School in Ilkley but moving to join her sister at Squire Lane in the autumn, has also made a great start.

She too competed at Keysoe in the National Pony Society PA Business Systems Moun-tain & Moorland Working Hunter Class, where she took first place, qualifying her for the Horse of the Year Show.

This was the first qualifying show of the season and Zoe competes in the 138cm (13.2 hands high) section, which is open to riders of any age.

She competes on a grey 16-year-old Welsh Section B called Arendshoeves Firefly (stable named Magic).

Last year was her first on this pony and they immediately struck up a wonderful partnership, competing at the Horse of the Year Show, RIHS (Sixth Nursery Stakes) and Show at the Northern Show in Wetherby.