Aberdeenshire rider Debbie Murray won the Dodson and Horrell novice restricted championship at the British Dressage National Championships at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.
Miss Murray partnered her six-year-old Scottish-bred gelding Fancy Man MFS to head the leader board with 71.44%.
“I’m thrilled with him,” said Miss Murray. “I had no expectations coming – I just wanted to do a nice test, so it hasn’t sunk in yet! ‘Fendi’ was a little sticky at the start of the test but he soon settled, got in to it and felt amazing.”
No strangers to the winner’s enclosure, Miss Murray and Fendi won the winter preliminary championship in April and have since made a confident step to the next rung of the ladder.
“He’s such a willing horse and is very good to train. I’m looking forward to moving towards elementary next year,” added Miss Murray, who runs Millpond Livery at Newmachar.
She bought Fendi from Moray Firth Stud, based at Damside of Melrose, Gamrie, Banff, as a foal and has educated him herself with the help of trainers Harry Payne and Kintore-based freelance instructor Jennifer Johnston.
Mrs Johnston’s daughter, Rebecca Johnston Harmen (13) finished fifth in the Backinaction preliminary championship with her five-year-old part-bred Welsh pony The Longhouse Rosadonna scoring 70%. Mrs Johnston herself also finished ninth with MFS Caliana in the elementary open championships.
Aberdeen University mechanical engineering student Caitlin Padfield, was fifth the Equilibrium Products elementary restricted championship, with Upside Down Van De Kwikaard on a score of 67.92%.
Jo Hamilton won the Dressage Deluxe medium open championship with her own and Lady Hope’s Corchapin, achieving a score of 72.22%. They then followed this up with a fifth place in the Suregrow advanced medium championships.
This is the third successive year the pair have won a national title at Stoneleigh – winning the novice open in 2012 and the elementary open in 2013.
“I’m so pleased and very proud of him,” said Mrs Hamilton. “He was responsive and with me through the test. Also his character and personality is huge and he brings that to the arena. He’s a lovely horse – he offers so much and leaves an impression on everyone he meets.”
Mrs Hamilton first saw ‘Colin’ as a three-year-old at Carl Hester’s yard. “However Carl said he was definitely not for sale. The following February he called to say he might sell him and then, by the end of the month, the horse was vetted and mine! I hadn’t even ridden him, but Carl knowing us both well could see we’d fit,” she said.
Looking long-term, she added said: “Carl has always got his eyes set on grand prix and I’ll shortly be travelling down to continue with our training.”