PORTAFERRY rider Ellie McDonnell has eight ponies to campaign for the season and this year one of her main targets is to qualify for the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead.

Ellie, who is now being coached by Emma Jackson, started her showing year in good form by claiming the supreme pony championship at the Easter Gala Show in Gransha with Goldengrove Sunrise. She was back at the Bangor venue last Saturday for an IPS (Northern Area) show where she landed the ridden supreme championship on Goldengrove Sunrise and the supreme working hunter championship with Sonny Bill Williams.