TEENAGE showjumping sensation Falon Harper has underlined her potential in the sport by finishing second at a prestigious event.

The 14-year-old, from Astley near Stourport, saw off many experienced adult riders to claim the runners-up spot in the Equenox Novice Championships, part of the Blue Chip Winter Showjumping Indoor Championships, in Solihull.

Her time of 37.10 seconds on four-year-old Belgian horse Andorra-M was just two seconds shy of winner Sue Pountain, a professional for many years.

Harper had to come through three rounds as the field was whittled down from 72 to just 12 riders for the final.

Trainer Raymond Percy has been tipping the Chantry High School pupil for stardom ever since he began working with her in May last year.

"This was a big show," he said. "For Falon to go and do that was just wonderful. We are so proud.

"In the final the fences were rather big and this sorted the best horses out. Sue Pountain congratulated her and said she felt Falon could have beaten her.

"She's got a long way to go but she's climbing the ladder very quickly in the short amount of time she has been doing it."

In November, Harper qualified for the Solihull competition and finished 13th at the four-day National Amateur Championships at Addington Manor in Buckinghamshire in December, where her exploits caught the eye of world-renowned trainer Ted Edgar.

Later this year she will jump the second round of both the Discovery and British Novice Championships on Andorra-M, where a top finish would earn a place at the Scope Festival in Staffordshire.

Nine-year-old horse Swankey Lady has also been purchased to give Harper more experience outside of the Novice categories.

Since that acquisition in mid-January, Harper has qualified for the Welsh Masters Showjumping Championships at the David Broome Equestrian Centre on both Andorra-M and Swankey Lady.

Percy added: "Falon has come on a long way in the last two or three months. She's the talk of the town. She's delighted with it and she knows now this will be her career."