The Miniature Horse Club of Great Britain held its championship show at Moulton College, with owners and breeders from across England showing their horses in a range of classes. All horses had been in heats across the country to qualify for the competition and on Saturday night, horses and their owners were dressed up for the main show.

Show secretary, Catherine Marshall, said: "The miniature horse has been bred to be a scaled-down perfect version of a horse under 34in. There are lots of different classes including a driving class, American miniatures, British-bred horses and falabellas."

Jill Robinson, aged 43, a breeder from Teeside, explained some people were attracted to miniature horses because they were easier to look after than bigger horses. She said: "People like to show them. They're a made-up breed, they have been bred in the UK for about 40 years. People try really hard to get them perfect."

There were up to 70 horses being shown at Moulton College, with 86 classes including a performance section, breeding section and a scaled down horse show.

Philip Matthews-Brown's horse, Looking Glass Rumbaba, won the Supreme Champion Hack at the show. Mr Matthews-Brown, from Ely in Cambridgeshire, said: "Miniature horses are very addictive, it's about trying to find a true horse in miniature. I've owned them for about five years and now I have 32. It's an absolute passion and I go all around the country showing them."

Penelope Lee-Small, aged nine, from Norfolk, has two miniature horses. She said: "They're cute and I can handle them better. The show is really good and there are lots of pretty horses."