ONE hundred school children from St Catherine's RC Primary, in Moss Lane, Leyland, are galloping ahead in the art of horseback riding thanks to trusty Trigger, the mechanical horse.

As part of the Jeep National Riding Festival, the youngsters were taught riding skills, on the back of Trigger, the moving mechanical mare, by an instructor from Ecclestone Equestrian Centre, in Ulnes Walton Lane, Leyland, on Wednesday, June 20.

The children also took part in other horsey activities including rosette making, equestrian road safety.

HRH The Princess Royal is president of the festival which will focus on creating new interest and enthusiasm in horses and riding.

Riding is currently enjoyed by 2.4 million children and adults compared to 1.5 million who enjoy amateur football.

Each child taking part in the school visit will receive a booklet of discount vouchers to get them started at their local British Horse Society or Association of British Riding Schools approved riding centre. A Horse Power Pack has been produced for primary schools to use in the classroom consisting of teaching and activity cards, presenting different topics about horses.

During the festival, hundreds of riding schools will open their doors and offer substantial discounts to attract newcomers to the sport.

Some of the larger centres will stage equestrian extravaganzas to demonstrate a variety of riding skills and give riders the chance to jump on for the first time.

Sponsored by Jeep, the manufacturer of high performance 4x4 vehicles, the initiative is supported by the majority equestrian organisations.

Chris Dunn, headteacher of the school, said: "The children really enjoyed the day.

"The school likes to provide a breadth of experiences as well as well as the fact that several of our children are experienced horse riders."

He added: "We would hope our children are keen to sample exciting activities like horse riding which is much healthier than staying in in front of the television."