TWO Monmouthshire school pupils have represented Wales and returned with first place from the European World Mounted Games Championships.

Raglan VC Primary pupil Ben Hopkins, and Monmouthshire Comprehensive School pupil Erin Beach, travelled to Tatterstalls in Ireland last week to compete in the European Mounted Games Championships.

They were selected in March by the Welsh team squad coordinaters and travelled to Ireland to take on teams from around Europe.

The team consisted of local riders Ben Hopkins and Erin Beach plus Jazz Cuggy and Isabelle Lynch from Neath, and Emily Norton from Seven Sisters. The team was trained by local Monmouthshire team trainer Iain Hopkins.

The competition was made up of six sessions of 70 races where the talented welsh team won all six sessions beating the favourites England who have won the competition since 2007.

The talented welsh team stormed the competition beating the silver medalists by over 66 points. Bronze position went to France.

The team arrived home on Tuesday and some now head off to the British Championships and then onto the World Championships in Denmark.