A YOUNG Northern Ireland showjumping star with Scottish connections has won one of the top competitions in Ireland.

Alex Finney – whose mother Jean is a daughter of John Beck, Port o’ Spittal, Stranraer – gave a spectacular performance to win the 138cm National Championship at the Dublin Horse Show, recently.

Part of a wider range of National championships held in the RDS showground in Dublin, the event saw Alex take the title on Dolly Du Carel, which is owned by her mother.

This win came after a move up from 128cm to 138cm for Alex, who is competing at that higher level for the first time this year. It’s been a successful start as she was also top of the line in the ‘Young Champion of Ireland’ contest at Millstreet on another 138cm pony, Coltsdown Dun Cruiser and third on Dolly, just before the Dublin event.

In Dublin, on Dolly Du Carel, she took on a challenging 1.2m course with gusto and shaved two seconds off the previous best time in a four-way jump-off after two double clears.

She also managed to qualify Colstdown Dun Cruiser, for the Nationals but had one fence down in the class, taking her out of contention on that ride. However, this pony won the 138cm Grand Prix at Mullingar International Horse Show, in June.