A LOCAL amateur rider has won the chance to compete alongside seasoned professionals at the prestigious Horse of the Year Show 2012.

Lauren Bullock from Abergavenny took second place in the Riding Club Show Horse class at the South Essex Insurance Broker's (SEIB) Search For A Star 2012 qualifier, held at Badgworth Arena.

Riding Pat Faulkner's, Newferry Maverick, Bullock fought off stiff competition from other riders in the class to gain qualification for the Horse of The Year Show.

Pat Faulkner has owned Newferry Maverick for five months and said, "Lauren lives at our house and has ridden our ponies ever since she was little."

Maverick, as he is known at home, is Irish bred by the stallion Limerick. Bullock has been showing a Connemara for the past six years but he was sold on so that they could buy Maverick.

Pat explained, "We wanted something to jump and it is a bonus that he is also nice looking and even more important is his fabulous temperament.

"We wanted a fun horse to do riding club events and hunting and we wanted to do working hunter classes."

The pair had an unlucky two poles down in the Working Hunter class earlier in the day, but as Bullock who works as a waitress in her uncle's cafe revealed, "This is only our third show, we came because we thought we had a horse that fitted the class. We know he can jump, and it seemed worth having a try."

Pat added, "Qualifying for HOYS is a great achievement, I can't believe it – it has not sunk in yet. It's lovely!"

Show Judge, Richard Ramsay explained, "This competition gives amateurs the chance to compete at HOYS, a dream which many riders would love to realise and the standard at Bury Farm gets better every year."

The South Essex Insurance Brokers Search For A Star Championship finals will be held at the Horse Of The Year Show, October 3-7, at the Birmingham NEC.