GREAT Cheverell rider Carri Ann Dark is hoping she is on track to earning a place in the Great Britain squad for September’s European Endurance Championships after becoming British open champion earlier this month.

The 22-year-old, on ride Vavavoom, kept her cool in sweltering conditions to finish as the fastest British rider at the National Endurance Championships at the Kings Forest in Bury St Edmunds.

Dark, who helped EnduranceGB win a team bronze medal at last year’s European Young Riders Championships in Belgium, is competing as a senior rider for the first time this year and has her fingers crossed that she has done enough to be shortlisted for the senior Europeans, which take place in Most, Czech Republic, on September 12-15.

“Last year I was a Young Rider, so it was my first time competing at the nationals and my first time doing a 160km race in this country,” said Dark, who has recently begun working for Wiltshire Council.

“It was absolutely scorching and out of 32 riders, there were only six that finished.

“There were a few riders from the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and one from Poland and, when I finished, I was told that I was the British champion.

“I’m really, really happy about it and it’s a big result for me.

“As a senior, you also have to ride with a minimum weight of 75kg so he (Vavavoom) was out there with 10kg of lead – I was really proud of him for doing that.

“I thought that it might take me a year or so to get used to being a senior rider but it doesn’t seem like it has, which is really nice.

“I thought that it would also take a year before I had any chance of making the senior European team but the selectors were there at the nationals and we also had to do an assessment the day afterwards - they seemed very keen.

“I’m just waiting for the shortlist to come out at the moment but fingers crossed I’ll get a place.”

Vavavoom, who is also known as Prince, is owned by the Wiltshire endurance rider’s mother, Ann.

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