TEENAGER Tara Wilkinson is the national champion of a sport favoured by royalty.

The 15-year-old is the British Young Driver Champion – at carriage driving.

She and her nine-year-old pony Joe won the title after competing in dressage, cones and obstacles races.

For Tara, a pupil at Hipperholme and Lightcliffe High School, it’s a major achievement for someone so young.

And the school’s assistant cook, Dianne Macrae, is also competing alongside Tara in the sport, with her pony Peggy.

Tara met the sport’s patron, Prince Philip, who is still active within the sport despite being nearly 91.

Tara said: “It tends to be for older people but there are a lot of younger people doing it now.

“It feels good to be the champion.

“Joe was my pony for gymkhana but I wanted to try carriage driving with him. It took a while to break him in, I had to practise with him but he’s really good and he enjoys it.”

She first took the reins after seeing her dad John and brother Ross, 16, and mum Leslee competing.

They only started three years ago after seeing it at a show and deciding to have a go and it wasn’t long before Tara was leading the way.

She and Joe had success quickly, winning the Young Drivers’ Outdoor Championships and the Northern Championships.

Earlier this year Tara qualified for the indoor championships held at Keysoe, North Bedfordshire.

Competing consists of a dressage phase, cones phase and obstacles over a 10k course.

And she and Joe did themselves proud, taking the title.

Since then Tara has been chosen to be on the GB Drivers team and will compete in Austria in July.

As part of the Young British Drivers Association, sporty Tara is raising sponsorship to fund the trip and represent her home nation at the contest.

The sport is popular at Hipperholme and Lightcliffe High School, where assistant cook Dianne Macrae also competes.

She assists for Tara’s family, but is also beginning to take the reins herself.

Dianne said: “Someone has to stand on the back, just to make sure the horse and person are OK if anything happens, which is what I do.

“But I went out last weekend with Peggy and had a go myself.”

Competing in carriage driving has brought them into contact with the Duke of Edinburgh, who despite being 90 and having heart surgery at Christmas, was in the driving seat this spring.

“I didn’t get the chance to speak to him, he just goes along the line,” Tara adds. “But he’s the patron of the sport and he was there.”

Asked if she thought she was better at the sport than the prince, she joked: “Probably.”

If you can help sponsor Tara as she competes in the GB team contact the Examiner on 01484 43 77 62.