LAURA AND HUNI ON BRITISH TEAM

Eighteen countries took part, each with a team of around 12 riders and up to three Young Riders (16-21 years). Laura, a pupil at Burgess Hill School for Girls, was the first Young Rider to be invited on to the British Team.

Icelandic Horses have two extra gaits called tolt and pace, as well as walk, trot and canter. They compete on a 250m oval track, showing either tolt, 4-gait (tolt, trot, walk and canter) or 5-gait (tolt, trot, walk, canter and pace).

They are judged on the quality and transitions of the gaits and on the skill of the rider and the spirit of the horse. Pace tests are held on a 300m straight track where the quality and speed of the pace are judged over 100m, 150m or 250m.

The track events were watched by an audience of up to 14,000 spectators and the pace events by up to 6,000 spectators from countries as far apart as Iceland, Scandinavia and Austria.

Laura and her horse, Huni fra Olafsvolum, took park in the 5-gait and pace test. Her best result was in the pace test where she came 23rd out of 35 overall and 7th Young Rider. This was an excellent result considering that countries such as Iceland, Sweden and Germany have professional riders and sponsored competition horses worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Laura is hoping to qualify for the Youth Cup to be held in Switzerland next year and for the British Team for the next World Champions in Switzerland in 2009.

For more equestrian news and pictures see West Sussex Gazette October 10