PENKETH High School pupil Elly Hill fulfilled one of her lifetime ambitions when competing in the Horse of the Year Show at the NEC Arena in Birmingham.

Hill, aged 14, qualified for the finals through the Search for a Star programme, in which she and her connemara pony, Liskeran Dun Bobby, made it through to the Show Pony Finals.

“It had been Elly’s ambition to compete at the event for years but I never thought she would get to do anything like it,” said her mum Sarah, who looks after several horses at the family’s Tunstalls Farm property in Clock Face, St Helens.

“Getting through to the finals was a massive achievement and seeing her compete in front of the huge crowd was amazing. We are all very proud of her success.”

The teenager has been riding Liskeran Dun Bobby since last September, having bought the pony after the previous owner fell ill.

Unfortunately, Hill was not one of the top five riders who progressed through to Sunday’s final but that has not dented her future ambitions.

She now hopes to take part in further regional competitions before hopefully qualifying for the International Horse Show, held at London’s Olympia Grand, next year.