A keen horse-rider is hoping to secure a place on an equine therapy course following a busy summer competing and showing.

Sophie Jackson, who is in Year 11, has overcome injuries sustained in falls from the saddle to continue with her passion, with the highlight being a cross-country ride at Burghley Horse Trials.

Sophie was competing in games at her riding school on Christmas Eve in 2015 when she fell off and broke her ankle badly. She was operated on and needed two pins in her ankle. At the same time, her horse Phryne suffered a bad skin allergy and was covered in sores for months.

Despite the setbacks, Sophie has been doing some in-hand showing (showing the condition, movement and grooming of the horse in a ring with a judge), won her class at Long Sutton Horse and Pony Show and was reserve champion over all of the showing classes.

Sophie showed Phryne at Spalding and District Riding Club Show and by coming second, she qualified to show in hand at Equifest at the East of England showground in August. There, she took part in some open show jumping classes but on her third class, Sophie fell again and suffered slight concussion.

Her highlight so far has been the Burghley Horse Trials sponsored ride, where riders pay to go around the cross country course on their own horses. Sophie completed the ride last year and raised £100 to help those injured in riding accidents.

Her passion for horse-riding has fed into her schoolwork – when she had to do a short speech for her English mock exam, a member of staff visited the stables to film Sophie giving a talk about Phryne.

Sophie is hoping to go to Riseholme College in Lincoln to do a four-year course ending in a degree in equine therapy and rehabilitation. We wish Sophie the best of luck.