The Strathearn Hunter Trials autumn fixture attracted an entry of almost 200 horse-and-rider combinations to Bachilton Farm, outside Methven.
Stopping the clock two seconds over the optimum time on the intermediate track for the first win of the day was Blairgowrie’s Pauline Sherriff with her Bavarian warmblood gelding Jim and Tonic.
The consistent big bay, known as Trig, has been with Pauline for the last four years and has won a plethora of prizes from the hunter trials series in Scotland, standing adult open championship winner at Gleneagles hunter trials this time last year.
Last year he also took an early second place from the spring hunter trials, again at Gleneagles, and followed that up in the autumn with another second from Fife Riding Club’s Craigie fixture.
“The course rode really well,” said Pauline. “It was lovely and flowing, with a few tricky fences,” she said.
She now plans to spend the winter showjumping.
In the largest class of the day, the adult novice, with 45 entries, top spot went to Fife rider Jennifer Macgregor, riding Sarah Billinge’s home-bred mare Minimo.
As only the second horse-and-rider combination on the course, they set the bar with a time just seven seconds off the optimum pace to top the class.
Sarah bred the eight-year-old to race, from one of her point to pointers, but her strength has been found to lie on the hunt field and over cross country fences.
Minimo went to Jen’s base at Wester Pitmenzie to further her education kick started with a win at Gleneagles hunter trials before making a successful debut on the Scottish eventing circuit during the summer at Auchlineck.
“She has fabulous paces but can tend to be a little bit spooky,” Jen said of their performance this season, which included a double clear and sixth placing at Cumbrian event, Cumwhinton.
“She’s also performed really well at pure dressage, taking a second and third placing locally, and she’s also been placed third in showjumping,” she added.
Minimo now returns to Sarah to begin the hunt season. After some time off in due course, she will then return to Jen for the 2014 BE season.
The junior wins for the intermediate and novice sections respectively were won by Perth Hunt Pony Club member Frankie Hay and his horse Harry the Hunter and Kilgraston pupil Flora Wilson and her Andrew Drummond Moray Cup winner at Strathearn Pony Club, Zebedee.
In the adult nursery novice section mounted games enthusiast Lauren McLean crossed the finish line of her very first cross country competition with Macaroni in first place.
“He was originally bought to train as a games pony until we discovered his talent for jumping,” said Lauren.
She bought the nine-year-old Welsh D cross Arab gelding after saving the wages she earned over the winter at a hunting yard.
“He has huge scope but just lacks competition experience,” she said.
Macaroni is now for sale, so Lauren can afford to travel to Australia.
“The course was great with some challenging moments, and although I have competed in a few MGA competitions on him, he really does love his jumping.”
In the junior class of this section, it was a home win for Bachilton’s James Houlden and his successful Welsh section A pony Pontsarn Sidan.
This time last year Sidan and former jockey Olivia Grant stood on the cusp of what was to prove a hugely successful Horse of the Year Show, in Birmingham, where they won their class and progressed to stand reserve champion of the mountain and moorland working hunter section.