GRACIE Thompson-Logan, a member of the Route Hunt Branch of The Pony Club, thought she was going to have to choose between attending the local point-to-point at Portrush on Saturday or taking part in the inter-schools show jumping at The Meadows.

As it transpired, she did neither as the 12-year-old was at the QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot racecourse where she was one of three members of The Pony Club to make a presentation following the final race, the Balmoral Handicap. The mile race was won by the William Haggas-trained, Shadwell Estate-owned Aldaary, and afterwards Gracie presented his prize to jockey Jim Crowley who was bringing up a treble.

“We knew Gracie was one of the winners of The Pony Club competition a few weeks ago but we didn’t tell her we were definitely going until Friday morning!” said her mother Susi who flew over to Gatwick that evening with the competition winner and elder daughter Katie, leaving husband Alan at home on the north coast.

They got to the racecourse early on Saturday morning when Gracie and her two fellow competition winners, guided by The Pony Club chaperone Zoe Pulling, attended a masterclass given by leading jockeys, and engaged couple, Hollie Doyle and Tom Marquand who first met when competing in Pony Club races.

Gracie rode her pony Rosco in the local race at the Bailey’s two-day fixture at Moira in early August and while she competes in most Pony Club activities, she has a huge interest in racing. She won the trip to Ascot when nominating the Dark Angel gelding Silver Streak as her favourite racehorse, while her heroes are A.P. McCoy, the 20-time British champion National Hunt jockey, and this year’s history-making Grand National-winning jockey, Rachael Blackmore.

Impressive

Pulling, who is The Pony Club’s pony racing development officer, wrote to the Route Branch’s District Commissioner, Anne-Marie Carr, commenting: “Gracie was a particular favourite of the Great British Racing and Ascot staff who got to meet her during the presentation in the parade ring. They were astounded that, at the age of 12, she knew so much about racing and her conduct throughout was exemplary.”

Gracie and Katie, who is more interested in hunting and show jumping, have their ponies and horses on livery at Jeannie and Lyle McCollum’s Island Farm & Equestrian Centre which is just five minutes from their home in Coleraine. To keep herself fit over the winter months, Gracie, who is in Year Nine at the local Loreto College, has recently taken up camogie and is also training for Pony Club tetrathlon.