BEWDLEY teenager Rachel Williams is through to the second round of the Dengie Pony Club Winter League show jumping series after winning a locally staged qualifier.

The Dengie series attracts thousands of young Pony Club riders country-wide, chasing a place at one of 19 regional finals.

Williams, a member of the Wyre Forest Pony Club, was competing in a first round qualifier at Gracelands Equestrian Centre at Elmbridge, near Droitwich, on her long-term partner Little Comanchi.

"There were around ten in the jump-off at Gracelands and Rachel did well to win -- Little Comanchi is very consistent but no speed merchant," said mum Mrs Lynda Williams.

"Rachel took over the ride on the pony from her older sister Laura a couple of years ago but the mare was then a bit big for her, and they've only really got together as a partnership over the last year."

Rachel, 15 and a pupil at Bewdley High School, qualified the eight- year-old skewbald mare for the Blue Chip Championships last winter, in both the Coral and Sapphire finals.

She hopes to again make it to these popular national championships this indoor season. Williams was also recently a member of the Wyre Forest team that finished second at a local team show-jumping competition and has made the Dengie second rounds in the past.

Older sister Laura, now 18, is studying physiotherapy at Keele University but is still riding. She has her own horse and is also riding her 21-year-old sister Sarah's horse, Indian Pipe Dream.

Second place in the Gracelands qualifier went to South Shropshire Pony Club's Jemma Pearson, 11, on the 13.2hh pony Munchkin. This spotted gelding is only five and was broken in by Jemma and her mum Joanne Pearson, who used to work for Olympic show-jumper David Broome.

Munchkin looks talented and is already jumping double clear in affiliated show-jumping, at British Novice level.