LOUISE Skelton moved up from 17th place after the dressage to win the three-star international trials at Blair Castle on her mount, Partly Pickled.

It was a three-day triumph for the Herefordshire rider who climbed to second after being one of only two to record optimum times in the cross-country.

The 29-year-old from Eardisley then produced a fine show jumping display and tipped only one fence to finish third in that section and was left overall winner when Canada's Kelli McMullen-Temple, who had led from day one on Paris, had a disastrous round.

Nine-year-old Pickle, as he is known at home, was bred from one of Louise's former rides, Gerfuffles. Louise said of her biggest win to date: "I'm over the moon with the win. Pickle was on top form and I could not ask for more."

Another Herefordshire rider, Christine Hardinge, produced one of only three clear rounds and finished third overall on Hiawatha ll.

HEREFORDSHIRE rider Beth Barnett has enjoyed a double success at the Under-21 Summer Dressage Cham-pionship at Addington Manor in Buckhamshire.

But the season was to end in disappointment for the young rider when she broke her pelvis in a fall while out hacking and she will not be able to get back in the saddle until Christmas.

Barnett, riding Fofsway Smoothtalk, carried off the novice champion title at Addington riding against competitors drawn from all over the country.

And then on the final day of the championship, the pair, who are trained by Serena and David Pincus, made it a double by winning the Isec Elementary title with some of the best scores of the festival.

Earlier in the season, Barnett and Fofsway Smoothtalk were part of the winning pony team at the Irish International at Nacarne where they gained a very creditable fifth place in the individual competition.

LARA Brain, from Hereford, rode her pony Carbis Belle Star to victory in the Open Working Hunter Pony at Monmouthsire Show.

The 16-year-old Brain and her 12-year-old mare successfully tackled a bank, stone wall and a variety of rustic fences in the qualifier for BSPS Championship Show to be held at the East of England Showground.

Another county equestrian, Liz Langford, had success at Monmouth when her Irish Draught cross hunter mare Chance Cove and her foal Tyson's Diamond Cove both came second in their classes. They had both won at the previous Brecon County meeting.

Tyson's Diamond Cove, owned by Stuart and Kate Carter, of Gloucestershire, was ridden by Carl Hester and is the current national five-year-old dressage champion.