Team work paid off last weekend as, for the second year running, the South West Endurance team took the runner-up spot at the Inter-Regional competition at Barbury Castle.

This annual event is always hotly contested and this year seven teams from different regions of England and Wales travelled to Wiltshire for the two day endurance meeting. Teams consisted of 15 riders who rode in a variety of classes from the 80km ER (50-mile) down to the 32km novice class, with a maximum mileage per team of 800km.

The winners were the North West team with 570 points, the South West team were second with 528 points and the Heart of England and Cotswold team third with 519 points.

Results were based on the 'French Formula' used in Europe, with bonus points for novice riders on novice horses, veteran riders and junior riders.

The Barbury Castle Estate is situated on the chalk and flint ridgeway near Marlborough. Some of the going is steep (not a problem for South West horses) and the ridgeway tracks can be hard and stony but a lot of it is fast going over grass.

The first day, the weather was overcast and cool, with only one heavy shower which made for some fast times.

However, under the direction of team manager Ann Jobson, the five South West riders in the 80km ER rode as a team and four out of the five horses successfully completed the ride.

There were over 20 competitors in the class but Lesley Dore on Firebird came in sixth at 16.5kph, with Abby Chisholm on her 13.2hh pony CFS Diana of Court in ninth place and Shannon Smith on Bomber in tenth. At the end of the first day the South West team were well ahead on points.

Crewing at Barbury Castle can be difficult because the crews have to drive around the outside of the route on narrow roads and it can be difficult to meet the horses and riders at each crew point.

To help with this, the South West team had two static crew points where the riders could be sure of water for the horses and drinks for themselves. Crews also joined forces and met each other's riders at different places.

Back at the venue, which was also the vetgate for each loop, Ann Jobson arranged a communal crewing area, where everyone could work at cooling the horses down before vetting. This became a scene of great activity with as many as six people cooling down each horse with sponges, scrapers and a hose!

Despite this hard work, one or two team horses failed the vetting, due to the stony tracks around the course, and the team were beaten into second place.

The members of the South West team were Lesley Dore on Firebird, Rachael Claridge on Maarhabi, Vicky Clink on Druimghigha Shanti, Shannon Smith on Bomber and Abby Chisholm on CFS Diana of Court in the 80km ER.

In the 65km class there was Megan Cross on CSA Demi and Jan Prettejohn on Wyndham Morgan. Doing 40km were Vicky Carter on Montana, Sarah Bishop on Lorien, Dawn Statham on Luhaya, Trena Brock on Sahir Kashmir, Fiona Price on Azaraell and Gail Thomas on Bibi Royale. Katherine Letherbridge on HS Jupiter and Vicky Ham on Thea's Lass completed the 32km class.

The next ride organised by the South West group of Endurance GB will be the Brentor Ride on Sunday, September 5.

There will be a range of classes, including two for non-members. Go to www.endurancegbsouthwest.co.uk for details.