POLICE were horrified when they discovered Sunday morning pony and trap races taking place on a busy North Yorkshire road, a court heard.

Officers found a white Ford Transit van travelling in front of two pony and trap combinations which were racing on the A168 at Walshford, near Knaresborough, prosecutor Simon Ostler told Harrogate magistrates yesterday.

People were hanging from the van's open doors, with one using a camcorder to film the race while others watched. As officers tried to intervene, driving behind the van, but in front of the ponies, the two animals collided as one lost its footing trying to pass the other at 30mph.

Police stopped the van and were talking with its driver when the two pony and trap drivers, Kelly Walsh, 22, and Martin Gibbs, 40, returned and denied having been racing.

But police had received several calls to say that a large number of ponies and traps had been taking part in races on February 2.

''And when one of the crowd shouted: 'Who won?', it somewhat gave the lie to the racing denials,'' said Mr Ostler.

Gibbs, of Holtdale Way, Holt Park, Leeds, and Walsh, of Middle Tunstead Farm, Bacup, Lancashire, pleaded guilty by letter to a charge brought under the 1847 Town Police Clauses Act of causing obstruction, annoyance or danger by riding a pony and trap furiously.

Walsh wrote in mitigation that if she had known the extent of the hazards caused, she would "almost certainly not have been present at the event". She apologised for causing inconvenience and potential danger. Gibbs had nothing to say. Each was fined £60 with £45 costs.

The driver of the van, Robert Price, 42, of Esholt Lane Caravan Site, Shipley, West Yorks, pleaded guilty by letter to using a van in a manner which caused danger to passengers and other road users. The case was adjourned until July 8, after Mr Ostler said the Crown Prosecution Service was considering an additional charge of driving without reasonable consideration for other road users.

Updated: 10:43 Wednesday, June 11, 2003