PERSHORE-based Bryan Smith made the line-up at the country's end of winter season national championships at Solihull in the West Midlands.

Smith joined hundreds of riders from around Britain who had qualified for the Blue Chip Show Jumping Championships.

It ran both junior and senior finals for horses and ponies of all grades.

He was in action in the Elevator Discovery Championships, a three-round competition for horses with winnings of less than £175 at the time of qualifying, and which drew close on 90 starters.

The Irish-born rider's partner was the 16.3hh bay gelding Mister Diablo, owned by his girlfriend and fellow rider, Welland-based Sophie Hooper.

The pair were among 19 who jumped clear in the first two rounds to make the final timed jump-off.

"My horse then had a pole off the second to last fence in the jump-off -- without that he would definitely have been second," said Smith. "He eventually finished sixth which I was pleased with -- it's early in the season and he hasn't done a lot, and he jumped well."

The horse has had few outings this year as Smith's career as commercial manager for an engineering firm keeps him busy.

But he plans to aim the horse at the Newcomers and Foxhunter regional finals this summer and hopes to gain a place in the finals at the renowned Horse of the Year Show this autumn.

Severn Stoke-based Sam Costello finished in the prize money in the Kitt Kraiburg Junior Novice Championship for riders aged 16 or under.

The final attracted a huge field of close on 90 and Costello, who turned 13 at the end of March, finished 14th on her 138cms black mare Muriel's Magic.