A promising show jumper from Altrincham narrowly missed out on honours at a national show jumping competition following a mix-up with a starting buzzer.

Manchester High School for Girls student Lucie Hinton was making her first appearance at the recent National Riding Club Championships in Lincoln when disaster struck.

Lucie, 15, and her mount, Symphony, mistakenly started the second round of the show jumping event upon hearing a buzzer sound from a neighbouring show ring. Despite clearing all of the jumps, the mistake led to her disqualification.

Now the resolute rider is reflecting on a satisfying season and looking ahead to 2008 when she will be riding a new horse, Treeholme Dancer.  

She explained: “It was my first time at the Nationals and my confidence was high, given that Symphony had been jumping so well.

“It is just one of those things and a consequence of the event arenas being so close together. At least I will have another opportunity next year in the same age category, to redress the situation,” she added.

Lucie is a member of Wilmslow Riding Club and has enjoyed many other successes. In July, she beat 92 other competitors to win a One Day Event, hosted by Burton Cheshire Forest Pony Club. She has also recorded top five finishes in various sections at the Horse of the Year Show.

When she returns to competition in 2008, Lucie will be riding her own horse, Treeholme Dancer. Although her new mount is a novice, Lucie remains confident that the horse will perform well and help her emulate the success of her role models Zara Phillps and William Fox-Pitt.

“Although I have been involved in showing horses from the age of three, I now intend to concentrate on eventing and show-jumping. I hope to qualify again for the show-jumping competition at the 2008 National Championships as I wish to learn from this year’s experience.

“Eventing is a very competitive sport that few riders manage to make a career from but I do have a dream of competing at both the Burleigh and Badminton Horse Trials, and I am currently looking for sponsors to help me turn these ambitions into reality,” she enthused.

In her spare time, Lucie is a representative of the British Show Pony Society (Cheshire Area) and helps to organise social events for its junior members. She also excels at other sports and is member of the Greater Manchester Under 17s Hockey Squad, a member of Poynton Hockey Club, and captain of both her school’s water polo and hockey teams.

Manchester High School for Girls Head Mistress Mrs Christine Lee-Jones said: “Lucie is a talented and determined sportswoman who has the ability to bounce back from her disappointment at the National Championships, and I am certain future successes await.”