WHEN Leonie Aitkenhead was handed her surprise Team England international call-up a few weeks ago, she would never have expected her debut to have turned out to be against the country of her birth.

The Grayingham show jump star was called-up for the Welsh Home Pony International after qualifying for the prestigious Horse of the Year show.

The 12-year-old was one of five riders chosen to jump for England in the 128cms section at the David Broome Event Centre in Chepstow.

Riding her pony, Brown Sugar III, the Huntcliff School student began her weekend with a trial round to decide which of the five would be the reserve ride.

It was from that point on that things took an unexpected turn for Leonie, as her mum Bev told Junior all-stars.

"In Friday's trial she was the last to go and all of the four before her had jumped clear, so there was quite a bit of pressure on Leonie," Bev explained.

"And under that pressure she recorded a fault so was chosen as the reserve, which was a bit disappointing.

"But then the Welsh team were a rider short so asked if she would ride for them.

"We have no Welsh blood in our family, a bit of Irish, but no Welsh, so it was nice for her, if a bit of a surprise.

"And then she actually ended up getting better scores than three of the English riders and got a bronze medal.

"So it was a bit of a strange one, but it was nice that England had asked her to go in the first place and she had a really good show."

It was Ireland who took gold in Wales, with England in second and the Welsh finishing in third.

And the bronze medal for Leonie was the perfect warm-up for the Horse of the Year Show at Brimingham's NEC Arena in October.

"It was a good show, Leonie brought home five rosettes and her bronze medal, so she was really pleased," Bev added.

"She got two firsts, a second, third and fifth and qualified in the Scope Debut class for the English Home Pony International at the end of October in the next class up on another of her ponies, Bubble Pop Electric.

"It is back in for the SCOPE festival in Staffordshire at the end of August next though.

"That's another big national show that Leonie has qualified for with three of her ponies, so hopefully more good times are on the way."