A THREE-year-old Abergavenny girl is on course to become an expert at horsing around.

Little Phoenix-Phiel Parry is just three years old, but already horse-rides like a pro - despite never having had a proper lesson.

The talented toddler is hoping to compete at a county level in the near future, and next year from January she will looking for sponsors who want a safe bet.

The Argus watched little Phoenix trot her way around the stables at Upper Triley farm at Llantilio Pertholey, just outside Abergavenny on her favourite pony, Ellie, 28, a Shetland.

"She's already doing well," said Beccy Fields, centre manager at the stables and partner in the business. "She is too little to do our classes yet - they start at four years old - but she's good. She's the youngest we have but she's really confident around the horses and she's keen. "She seems set on joining the pony club when she's four and then she will doing a bit of everything."

Proud mum Myscha Dene, 25, said: "We are so happy she's got a hobby she loves that's outdoors - there's nothing worse than a child stuck watching tv all the time.

"if she could she would be with her ponies 24/7. She says Ellie is her best buddy.

"She's already competed at a local level and won first and second place, so she has a growing collection of ribbons - even though she's never had a lesson.

"She is so competent and confident, it's great to see. She's competing against children who are up to nine years old, and in her first ever competition she came second.

"The judges always comment on how small and confident she is - she gets quite a lot of attention at shows."

Phoenix rode her own pony for the first time in October last year - when she was just two years old - but before that she first sat on a horse at around one, and has always been around horses.

She even rode little Ellie to the annual Boxing Day hunt in Abergavenny last year, and very much stole the show.

Although she is too young to have full riding lessons at the stables, she does have mountain and moorland lead reining classes and takes part in competitions at the centre.

Ms Dene, who started riding at around two years old as well, says she and Phoenix's dad will support Phoenix to go as far as she wants.

"As long as she's happy, that's the main thing," she said. "She absolutely loves it now, and hopefully she will in the future as well."