GRACELANDS Equestrian Centre at Elmbridge, near Droitwich, was the venue for two national pony show jumping qualifiers that drew riders from a wide area of England and Wales.

Highlight of the two classes was the Blue Chip JC/JA Sparkle qualifier, which leads to the top final at April's Blue Chip Championships, staged in Solihull.

Course builder Chris Napier built a testing track for the young riders, all aged 16 and under, and clear rounds proved elusive in the timed jump-off.

Just one pony, Ranger Man, ridden by Romsley's Emma Williamson, was able to go clear to head the class.

Jessie Swambo, aged 15, was the only rider to make the line-up from the JA section of the class, finishing second on the black gelding Paddioco.

"The jump-off course proved very difficult and four of the five JA ponies ended up being eliminated," said Jessie's mother, Lou Swambo. "Jessie had one down in a good time."

Third spot went to Emma Williamson on her second ride Dickie Beau, who also had one down against the clock. Sophie Cornwell and Natalie Meakin were next on Master DJ and the young pony Mister D, a relative newcomer to affiliated show jumping.

The Kitt-Kraiburg Junior Coral qualifier, for ponies with BSJA winnings of £400 or less, drew a field of 30. Eight made the timed jump-off where clear rounds again proved hard to come by.

Just in-form young Shropshire rider Chad Fellows and Herefordshire-based Carla Chamberlain remained faultless to finish first and second on Sir Morholt and Ultimate Chaos.

Williamson again finished third on Dickie Beau, with Stephanie Charley and Cornwell next on Tatty Keel and Master DJ.

Meanwhile, Bayton-based 15-year-old Amy Blount is through to the final of a unique equestrian championship.

Blount, a pupil at Lacon Childe School at Cleobury Mortimer, was among the competitors in the "Jumping and Style" qualifier held at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire.

The "JAS" series, which comes under the umbrella of British Eventing, is designed to give event riders a warm-up for the horse trials season that starts in March and qualifiers are held indoors across the country.

Competitors jump a course of show jumps directly followed by a course of cross- country style fences and are judged on faults, style and performance and time in the cross-country phase.

Blount finished fifth in the Intro section on her home bred 16.1hh bay gelding Independent Missile, with just one mark separating her from second in a close finish.

"Amy jumped clear and got good style marks, and it was all very close," explained her mother Cath Blount.