PEWSEY rider Fiona Hobby has won the Lincoln JumpCross Eventer’s Challenge, a prestigious national competition held at Wittering near Peterborough.

In the process she took home a tidy £3,000, riding her 11 year old bay horse Royal Colours.

JumpCross, an increasingly popular equine sport, attracts top equestrian names such as Oliver Townend, Piggy French and Mark Kyle.

It runs over cross-country style obstacles such as water and combinations but all the fences can be knocked down, incurring a 20-second time-penalty.

Refusals carry a 50 second penalty and riders can add or deduct 40 seconds from their score if they clear a special ‘joker’ fence.

The title was decided over two timed rounds, with the overall scores combined to find a winner.

Irish rider Kyle had won the event for the previous two years, so Hobby was delighted with her victory this time.

“It was a great competition and a wonderful day,” she said.

“The prize-money is excellent and I couldn’t be more pleased. Royal Colours is a careful horse and loved the track. JumpCross is a brilliant sport.”

Hobby, who beat Badminton winner Townend, riding Pepper Anne to the top spot, also rides the mare Roma M.L., with whom she finished just outside the top 20 at Badminton last year.

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