A 12-year-old girl from Lymm has won a pony club riding championship.

Emilia Stone and her Welsh Section A pony, Brynseion Montague, triumphed in the SEIB Insurance Brokers Search for a Star Pony Club First Ridden Championship.

The event took place at Your Horse Live on November 9.

Under the bright lights of the main Your Horse Live SEIB arena in Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, Emilia and Montague, known as Monty, clinched the title.

Monty is owned by Emilia's mother, Sarah Stone.

Emilia said: "Monty was amazing in the show.

"He's the first pony we've owned."

Emilia and Monty are proud members of the East Cheshire Pony Club.

Mrs Stone said: "We've owned Monty for two-and-a-half years.

"We bought him originally for showing and then the Pony Club.

"They also compete in First Ridden and Small Breeds Mountain and Moorland classes and Working Hunter Ponies.

"We saw the Pony Club Search for a Star on Facebook and there was a qualifier local to us at Greenlands Equestrian Centre in Cumbria, so we came along."

Pony Club chief executive officer, Marcus Capel, said: "Search for a Star provides a fabulous opportunity for our members to come to a great show here at Your Horse Live.

"It's lovely to see the branches supporting their members and the competitors have once again done the Pony Club proud with their performances."

Nearly 1,000 competitors entered the SEIB Search for a Star qualifiers this season to chase a total of 60 much-coveted Your Horse Live tickets in the series.

The Search for a Star series was set up in the mid-1990s by SEIB Insurance Brokers.

Next year, the Absolutely Genuine Company will be leasing the running of Search for a Star and Racehorse to Riding Horse for the first time.

Founder and organiser of Search for a Star, Nicolina MacKenzie, said: "Your Horse Live is simply brilliant and provides an unforgettable experience for everyone lucky enough to qualify.

"Our supreme ridden and in-hand champions were exceptional and we look forward to seeing them in the ring in the future.

"Thank you to everyone involved for making it all happen."

Your Horse Live event director, Emma Bedford, said: "We were thrilled to welcome the Search for a Star competitors to Your Horse Live in what has become a key part of the show.

"The standard of horses and ponies was so high and it's always a pleasure to have the championships here."

SEIB Insurance Brokers have been providing insurance services for more than 60 years, renowned for their specialist equestrian insurance.