ORGANISER Rupert Sturgis was delighted to see some of the leading lights of the eventing world descend on Great Somerford for last weekend’s Knight Frank Dauntsey Park Horse Trials.

World number one Andrew Nicholson and British number one William Fox-Pitt were just some of the stellar names mixing it with local riders at the trials and Sturgis, husband of Wiltshire rider and fellow organiser Beanie, was proud to serve up a treat for competitors.

“Sometimes the trials clash with other events but the top riders chose to come this year and it was very good,” said Sturgis.

“Some of them brought some of their best rides with them but people like Fox-Pitt, Zara Phillips, Bettina Hoy and Rodney Powell were also helping out as collecting ring stewards – nobody knew they were going to be there doing that and it was fantastic for some of the local riders to think ‘oh wow, that’s my hero’.

“It was a great year and we had a new intermediate course, which the competitors seemed to enjoy.”

Fox-Pitt won the open intermediate section on Cool Mountain, with Membury’s Laura Collett third with Noble Bestman with the Great Britain star also triumphing in the BE100 section I with Reinstated and the intermediate section on Luxury FM.

Local Dauntsey rider Helen James, wife of Andy James, whose company Andrew James Travel sponsor the trials, won the intermediate novice section on Watson.

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