A RIDER from Highbridge has claimed the Petplan Equine Area Festival Novice Bronze Championship at the Petplan Equine Winter Area Festival Championships at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire.

Competitors qualified after the chance to take the top prize afte 18 Area Festivals held around the country between January and February 2023. 

Out of 2,877 horse and rider combinations taking part, over 500 qualified for the Championships at all levels from Preliminary to Inter I. 

The partnerships competing for the Petplan Equine Novice Bronze title had to give their all to show off their horses star quality on the day. 

And Sophie Lawson, who was riding Llanarth Magestic, said it was a serious accomplishment to finish on top of the leader board.

“Amazing, amazing, I can’t really put into words," Lawson said on her win.

“We held it together in the test, it was fairly accurate. His medium canter wasn’t too bad, better than previously. I’m generally just very pleased overall.”

The leading lights from the Winter Area Festivals have certainly risen to the challenge of this Championship where they could be sharing the warm-up arena with international dressage stars and Olympic medal winners.

Magestic, a 13-year-old chestnut gelding, and Lawson were rewarded for all their hard work and training by the judges to achieve a winning score of 72.22 per cent.

Lawson is brand new to the Petplan Equine Area Festival series, having never competed in them before, and added: "It’s been really good, everyone is so supportive, it’s amazing to be able to come and compete in this atmosphere as an amateur who’s never done anything like this before."