A MOTTRAM youngster has leapt her way to become the best in Britain only three months after taking up her chosen sport.

Nine-year-old Toni Bagley was crowned under-10s champion at the British Show Jumping Association’s Scope Festival.

Victory crowned a remarkable few months for the Staley Hill Junior School pupil who had not shown any interest in horses until this year.

Mum Natalie explained: "She went to watch her elder sister Paige train in New Mills with Steven Farragher. I went up there later and she was going round on a pony, jumping one metre high and then one metre 20 centimetres.  Steven said she was a natural and that he’d stick her in a competition."

Having become affiliated with the BSJA, Toni and 15-year-old pony Top Priority came through Scope qualifiers at Lincoln before heading to the finals in Staffordshire. There, she competed in the preliminary section where her first round of four faults was followed by a clean jump in round two.

From there, Toni progressed to the 20-strong final where she defeated the best of the rest to become the country’s number one-ranked competitor in her age group.

Top Priority is kept at the family’s Paddock Farm home at Harrop Edge where Toni and 11-year-old sister Paige both train.

While the younger of the sisters might have grabbed some of the limelight, Paige has hardly proved to be a novice on horseback herself.

Natalie said: "Paige has ridden at a high level herself. She’s won the North West showjumping competition the week before Toni won her speed class. Paige has won lots of things herself over the years, so we’re really proud of both of them.  What they both show is that if you really want to do something, you can go out and achieve it if you’re determined enough."

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