Broughty Ferry rider Jane Reid maintained an unblemished record at Dalkeith scooping back to back BE100 wins for the last two seasons.
Her winner Greyford Boy finished on his impressive 70.7% dressage, adding nothing in the way of jump or time penalties to a 29.3 score.
“He’s in great fettle,” said Jane, who fulfils the busy voluntary role of regional training organiser for BE in Scotland.
“From start to finish, he went very well.”
The rising seven-year-old over-height Connemara, byAshfield Romeo, which is affectionately known as Terence, now has three BE100 level wins now under his belt two from Dalkeith and one from Wee Burgie.
He also finished second at the end of last year in the Scottish BE100 regional final.
In doing so he collected qualification for the Mitsubishi Motors Grassroots Championships at Badminton Horse Trials. However, Jane conceded that as she has previously been involved in the international event at Badminton, she won’t be making the trip south to the grassroots competition with Terence.
Instead, he will now make the step up to Novice level BE this weekend at Burgie.
Reflecting on the competition at Dalkeith, Jane said: “Terence did a great dressage test. I had a flatwork lesson from Les Smith a couple of weeks before the event and he gave me some really interesting exercises.
“They clearly helped to fine-tune Terence’s dressage brain.
“The setting at Dalkeith was absolutely lovely and what a credit to the organisers,” Jane added.
“The team had clearly invested a huge effort and expense behind the scenes for the benefit of the riders, and the course was great.
“It was all there to be jumped,” she added.
“With the style of fences, like the big chunky corners, the tracks suited a bold and honest horse.”
In preparation for their season, Jane spent the winter hunting with the Fife Foxhounds. Terence has also proved himself equally adept in the working hunter sphere.
Their last competitive show outing to Blair Castle saw them collect a second place in the Stewarts Building Services/BHS Scotland championship. They were also novice worker champions and reserve open worker champions at last year’s Kirriemuir Show.
The BE90 level winners included borders rider Gillian Bassett, from Morpeth, riding her own Rainton Woodlander; Hawick’s Tiffany Mactaggart and Highly Delighted; Douglas Crawford, from Prestonpans, with Strike It Lucky; and Dumbarton’s Joanne Moses, riding Greenburn Sunrise.
Among the top prize-winners in the BE80 contest was Courier Country rider Alison Page, from Glenfarg. Alison topped BE80 section C riding her own 10-year-old gelding Sporting Danillo, sired by Don Primero completing the event on a commanding penalty score of just 29.8.
With dressage certainly their forte, this partnership has achieved first and second placings at both prelim and novice level over the winter season at local venues such as SNEC, Inchcoonans and Netherton.
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Reflecting on his first competition at the helm of the CsHt organising committee Bruce edward said he was delighted with the weekend.
“The event really went as well as we could ever have expected and we’ve had a great response from the competitors,” he said.
Classes across the board were maxed out and carrying waitlists and ultimately 497 horse-and-rider combinations passed down the centre line of the dressage arenas over the two-day competition.
“We built a total of 17 new fences this year, not least installing the double water complex, so it has been great to see the course, woodland tracks and new ground receive such a great reception.”
With riders, grooms and spectators taking to social media en-masse to praise the efforts of the committee, Bruce added: “it is been very nice to get good feedback but there’s always room for improvement.”
Although Bruce conceded the committee has a “wish list” of jumps they would like to potentially install or replace in years to follow, the undertaking and expenditure ahead of this year’s event was so considerable there will be few, ifany, changes ahead of the next BE fixture at Dalkeith on July 25 and 26, 2015.
“The setting at Dalkeith has all the makings of an amazing venue,” he said.