Charlotte Benstead is in her second season of Point-to-Point riding and she was really celebrating after her ride in the Marlborough Cup, since on only her 10th race ever she rode her horse Some Tourist to win the Amateur Trophy (sponsored by Fullers) at Banbury Castle. Not only that, but within a few weeks she received another trophy - this time as Champion Novice Lady Rider at the South East Region's Point-to-Point Awards, thus capping a wonderful season.

It was Charlotte's father, Nigel, who encouraged her to take up Point-to-Pointing. He has a yard at Ottershaw in Surrey where Charlotte grew up with horses from early childhood, and progressed through the whole range of Pony Club activities.

Now at University studying Archeology, riding may still be the great love of her life but it does have to be balanced with Charlotte's studies and she is likely to remain an enthusiastic amateur rather than pursue a career dedicated to riding, so the Fuller's Trophy for Amateur Rider competing in the Marlborough Cup found a most worthy winner in 1998.

In the previous year Charlotte and Some Tourist (stable name "Joe") won one of the qualifier races at Banbury Castle over timber fences and got the bug'! Her ride in the final last year was only her 4th ever in public and her inexperience proved to be her undoing. She went up too soon to the leaders, was unsighted at the 9th fence and fell. Undeterred, she simply decided to put the experience to good use and vowed to try again!

The imposing timber fences hold no terrors for Charlotte, although she says that some horses are more suited to them than others - horses that jump low and fast for example, are unlikely to adapt to them.

To be successful, a rider would like to be on a clean jumper as it is important to measure the fences more carefully and take off closer to them than might be necessary on a more conventional course. Although the fence look very intimidating, in fact the top rails are half sawn through to enable them to give' if a horse hits one hard, whereas in the USA the fences are more upright, bigger and they don't give!

Perhaps it was just as well they are modified in this country since there were several fallers in this year's race, including, alas, last year's winner, SALUTER.

The course winds around the Downs and is unlike most conventional courses in that it is not a complete circuit, and none of the fences are jumped twice. There are a couple of open ditches and the largest fences (nos 8 and 10 which are just over 4') come at a point in the race when the horses are fresh enough to deal with them and the 3 final fences are smaller - which must give some encouragement when legs are becoming weary! The course is very undulating and a real test of stamina and jumping ability.

The Marlborough Cup gives amateurs such as Charlotte the unique opportunity to ride in the same race as the best of the professionals, the downside of which, of course, is that they obviously have less chance of winning when one of the other runners has A. P. McCoy, Champion National Hunt Jockey aboard!

Not only was Tony McCoy riding this year but the eventual winner Symbol of Success was ridden by Richard Johnson and the second by Brendan Powell (ex winner of the Grand National), so how did Charlotte feel about that!

"It was a privilege to race with them. It's what makes the race so special. I never thought I'd see my name on the same number board as Tony McCoy and it was a real thrill" She says, "I wouldn't want to change it in any way."

In this year's race, Charlotte benefitted from her pervious experience by allowing Some Tourist to hunt around at his own pace without pressurising him to match the leaders, and concentrated more on his jumping. It was a wise policy as various rivals fell along the way (including Tony McCoy!) but Charlotte just kept going strongly to finish 4th overall. She was over the moon when her father greeted her with the news - that she was the first amateur to finish - thus winning the Fuller's Trophy.

All the excitement of the season is now just a memory as Some Tourist enjoys his well earned summer vacation. Literally "brought out of a field" in Ireland, Some Tourist is well bred for the job being by TORUS out of a BARGELLO mare - both stallions being a sound influence for jumping.

Already Charlotte is looking forward to next season. Not content to rest on her laurels, she is excited about some new horses come from Ireland and of course riding her stable star Some Tourist again. As a ten year old he surely still has a season or two ahead of him, so what are Charlotte's plans for him now?

"Well, I'd really love to ride him in the Foxhunters at Aintree - but we'd have to qualify first! Riding around those fences would be a challenge and a huge thrill".

Having fulfilled one major ambition who's to say that Charlotte will not succeed in fulfilling another, so remember the name and look out for C BENSTEAD on the number board at Aintree.