Carri-Ann Dark is hoping to bow out in style as she competes for Endurance GB at the European Young Riders Championships in Belgium this weekend.

The 21-year-old, who is in her last year as a Young Rider (16-21 age group), is part of the six-strong Endurance GB squad that will compete in Mont le Soie on Saturday, in an 120km event that Dark describes as ‘like a Formula One race’.

Dark, of Little Cheverell, who competed in the 2008 championships in Spain and the 2009 World Young Riders Championships in Hungary, will ride Vavavoom (also known as Prince). The horse is owned by her mother, Ann, and Dark is confident of putting in a good performance.

“It’s my last year as a Young Rider so I want to try and do as well as I can,” said Dark, who recently finished studying for a degree in digital media and animation at Plymouth University.

“I’ve taken Vavavoom to a competition on the same course before so hopefully that will give us a great chance of doing well.

“I’ve done a lot of big competitions before so I think that I’ve got every chance of doing well there.

“Endurance riding is like a Formula One race and it’s something that I got into because of my mum.

“Your horse has to pass vet checks during the race and at the end and it’s testing because there are a lot of laps.”