A young woman is riding high on her recent qualification for a nationwide equestrian competition.

Alice Taylor took second place in the ponies class at the South Essex Insurance Broker’s (SEIB) Search for a Star 2014 qualifier earlier this month and will now compete at the championship finals at the Horse of the Year Show in October.

The 20-year-old, of Upminster, has been riding Cabragh Lad, known at home as Maguire, for three years and fought off stiff competition at Houghton Hall Equestrian and Alpaca Centre in Cambridgeshire on August 10 to gain qualification.

She said: “Search for a Star is the best thing that has happened.

“We just had this one chance and it all worked out.

“I have been to the Horse of the Year Show to watch, but this is my dream.”

SEIB are specialist equine insurance brokers and sponsor the Search for a Star competition which saw over 50 entrants compete in qualifiers across the country.

Show judge, Richard Ramsay, said: “This competition gives amateurs the chance to compete at the Horse of the Year Show, a dream which many riders would love to realise and the standard in Search for a Star gets better every year.”

Alice and Maguire are one of ten pairs to reach the grand final and will compete in a few more shows and attend the Search for a Star training day to ensure they are ready for the Horse of the Year Show which marks the end of the equestrian season.

Marketing manager at SEIB said: “We are delighted to give so many riders this opportunity.”

The SEIB Search for a Star pony category will take place on October 11 at the Horse of the Year Show at the NEC Arena in Birmingham.