YEAR 9 Castle School pupil Harry Derham is enjoying another successful season.

This year the 14-year-old has progressed to the larger ponies, having raced for three years on G. Whizz, culminating in third place in the National Finals in Liverpool last October.

His new pony, a six-year-old bay gelding, is called Wotarisk but known to Derham and family as ‘Tom.’ The 142h ponies race over a mile which requires the young jockeys to think more and learn to judge the pace in order to get the distance, as opposed to racing flat out over six furlongs.

Derham started this year’s campaign with a win in the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt Point-to-Point in atrocious weather conditions.

His next run was at Cheltenham racecourse at a Pony race day, which also provided a hard fought victory.

Derham and Wotarisk came first again at a pony race day in Wincanton.

The highlight of the season and probably Derham’s racing career to date was a trip to Newmarket, known as the Headquarters of flat racing recently.

This was probably his hottest race yet with many top ponies competing. The race was run over the famous Rowley Mile, the scene of many famous races.

Once again Wotarisk was victorious, winning by ten lengths.

That race was the first for Derham in the Charles Owen National qualifier, with the final this year being hosted by Cheltenham racecourse in October.

This series is a breeding ground for many young jockeys who aspire to become professional jockeys in the future, which is Derham’s ambition after he completes his studies and turns 16.

He proudly races in his uncles colours, Champion National Hunt Trainer Paul Nicholls, and is led up by his sister Amy, also a pupil at Castle School, Thornbury.

Derham’s next race on Wotarisk is at Stratford racecourse on the July 19 where he hopes to continue his unbeaten run.