York’s Sarah Louise Dale was delighted to make the line up at the Mitsubishi Motors Grass Roots eventing championships, held for the first time at the Badminton Horse Trials venue in Gloucestershire.

Riders had to qualify for the Championships through a series of first rounds and regional finals held countrywide and the final, for up and coming and amateur riders, had the feel of a major occasion.

Dale of Stillingfleet, near York, was in action in the top BE100 final with her big Irish Draught cross Thoroughbred mare Eden Hope. She made a good start in the opening dressage phase, where she earned a mark of 30.8.

The duo then faced a mini version of the Badminton cross country course, including The Lake, The Quarry and Huntsman’s Close fences.

The pair came home inside the optimum time and another faultless round in the show jumping phase meant they finished on their dressage score to clinch an impressive seventh place in a huge field.

Dale used to work for Wiltshire-based Australian Olympic team silver medallists Lucinda and Clayton Fredericks before setting up her own yard in Yorkshire.

She plans to move Eden Hope up to Novice level at the Hexham event in June and the aim is a one star international event “by the end of the year”.