Huddersfield’s Joe Clayton has been crowned the new British Showjumping National Champion.

He came through a terrifically close battle to take the title, which also qualifies him for the whole week at the Horse of the Year Show.

There were nine riders through to the jump-off, which proved challenging for each combination, causing each contender to pick up faults.

The eventual winner of the class, however, and taking the highly-coveted 2018 British Showjumping National Champion title, was Clayton, riding Carolous K.

After 10 years of working for Michael Whitaker , Clayton set out on his own last year from his family home near Mount.

He was delighted by the win at the Brish Showjumping National Championships and commented: “It feels fantastic to be crowned the British Showjumping National Champion; the champion of the nation – it’s unbelievable.

“It was a tricky first course with a lot of people having one down in a lot of different places, and a couple of people had time faults, too, so it was difficult to get inside the time allowed and leave all the jumps up. I am very pleased with my horse.”

Huddersfield's Joe Clayton becomes British Showjumping National Champion Contact Press@britishshowjumping.co.uk

Speaking of Carolous K, he added: “He is mainly kept with his owner, Jane Heerbeck; she keeps him all the time and I just ride him a couple of days before the shows.

“I have to admit, she brings him to all the shows and does all the hard work, so I owe a lot of this to her. I get on and he just loves to jump, so he makes it so easy for me to be honest.

“I have had a very good season so far but you can never come in too confident to a class like this. I’m really pleased with the result.”

Looking ahead to Horse of the Year Show this October, Clayton says: “I love competing at HOYS; the atmosphere is just fantastic!

“We go every year and it is always a dream to jump there with the atmosphere and the crowd cheering you on.”

The winner of the National Championship Show League, which has run across the Show was 1.40m Champion Robert Murphy aboard Newbridges Chablis.

The International Stairway League winner for the second year running was Helen Tredwell, who was riding Larksong.

And the winner of the Under 25 HOYS Wild Card was Jessica Dimmock riding Billy Bluebell.