A SKIPTON woman has been left stunned and angry after equipment she needs to compete in national and international competitions was stolen.

Jo Wormald, 48, from Airedale Terrace, is due to compete in two dryland mushing events in Bedford and Scotland over the next two weekends, before heading to the European Championships in Belgium and the World Championships in Sweden next month.

The events use dog power to pull a scooter or bike along rough tracks.

But the theft of her black and lime green Scott mountain bike and scooter overnight on Sunday, means she will have to use loaned equipment she is not familiar with.

“I am so very mad about it,” said Jo.

“I will be able to borrow a bike and scooter but I won’t be used to them and it will give me little time to practise on them. My equipment is insured, but it will still be a while before I can replace them.”

Jo said she chained and padlocked the equipment to her van on Sunday evening so she could get away early on Monday morning for training without disturbing the neighbours.

“I was drawing the curtains at around 8pm and saw a bald man in his 50s with three teenagers. They walked down the road to my van, paused and walked back. I did think it was strange but thought no more about it until this morning (Monday) when I saw the things had gone.

“I have given a description of the people to the police but hope that someone local may have seen something.

“Both are worth around £1,000 but the scooter is no use to anyone but me because it is specific for my sport. It might keep whoever took it in fags and cider for a week but not much more.”

Brought up in Ben Rhydding Drive, in Ilkley, before moving to the town centre, and then to Skipton nine years ago, Jo, a dog trainer, has competed very successfully with her dogs in agility for many years, but switched to harness sports.

Dryland mushing is derived from sled dog racing, using bikes, scooters or three wheel rigs rather than sleds, and in the UK sprint distances of about 5km are the most common, partly due to climate and partly due to space availability for trails.

Jo is also the founder of the local group Running Riot Canicross Skipton, which organises the area’s only annual canicross race for dog assisted runners, in aid of Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, and which is a hugely popular event.

She said being selected for Team GB and being given the opportunity to race abroad was a huge honour, but having to use borrowed equipment would put her at a disadvantage.

“All I can do is get on with it, but I would rather like to have my own bike and scooter back if possible and am asking people to look out for them.

Anyone with information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police with incident number 0074 of September 16.