Scottish riders have been in foreign lands picking up some gold medals this month, with three young jockeys making up parts of the pony and junior teams out in Austria.

What more can be said about Shaunie Greig? This young lady continues to dominate the 148cm scene? Not only did she deliver a double clear for team GB but also went on to land the grand prix on the final day both on board her reigning HOYS champion, Casino Royale.

With this only being the start of her season, Shaunie will be the one to beat for the rest of the year with appearances in the finals at Hickstead and HOYS already secure.

Team mate Nicole Lockhead Anderson may have rubbed one pole in the first round with her own home-produced Gangnam Style but they pulled it together for round two to produce their more usual faultless performance to help secure the gold then went on to finish seventh in the grand prix.

Just a nine-year-old, this pony looks to have an exciting future ahead of him, having been carefully brought on by Nicole in the last three years.

Scottish star of the ‘Young Rider’ team was Fraser Reed, who was recently crowned ‘Youth Performer of the Year’ by Horse Scotland.

A stylish, effective rider, Fraser has been gaining experience at some of the winter premiers then more recently over in Fontainbleu where he had just four faults in the grand prix.

A new ride to him, Russ Underwood’s Diarado/Heartbreaker stallion, Eclips, has previously been ridden by Douglas Duffin and Jordan Thompson but joined Fraser two months ago jumping well at South View and Wales and West before catching the selectors eye resulting in their team gold medal in Austria.

Graham Babes’ team continued to dominate, this time in Azelhof where Patricia Fraser’s Cluedo won no fewer than three classes, young horse champion, Ma Fleur JS, was second in the six-year-old finals and the faithful Boucheron was fifth in the world ranking class making for a successful trip for them.

At home, Fife Show hosted the HOYS Grade C qualifier for the first time in its grass arenas and saw a one-two for Durham’s Annabel Shields.

All the more impressive was the fact that the previous day Annabel had ridden in the grand prix at Balmoral Show, in Northern Ireland, yet still made it home in time to swap horses and head north for this class.

Her winning ride was the talented seven-year-old mare Gerona, which has already won a foxhunter second round and qualified for the ‘Talent Seekers’ now giving her a total of three classes to contest at HOYS.

Runner-up was Epke, owned by Chloe Page and which had just missed out at Notts County before coming north to record a necessary double clear.

Douglas Duffin ensured his appearance in the final with his new ride and Ayr winner, Savannah Price’s Enola Van Schutterhof.

Amateur rider, Gillian Anderson, who works full time as a nurse was the delighted winner of the 1.3m open and also qualified her super little mare, Congeniality B, for the Young Masters’ final.

Rosie Pindar has been having a great winter season especially on the 12-year-old Otis-sired Hanleen Beatrice, which also earned her a place in the Young Masters final when she finished in fourth.

James Smith made the trip to Balmoral riding At First D’Authuit into fourth in an accumulator but had earlier in the week dominated the Highland Show qualifiers at Morris EC’s busy three-day show.

At First D’Authuit and travelling companion, Olivers Diamond, both earned their RHS B and C tickets in one class with the Luidam sired nine-year-old Olivers Diamond also collecting his ticket for the RHS novice.

In the second B and C of the show it was the former ride of Jennifer Thompson, Tawnmore Lux Furious who earned James yet another B and C ticket, this time alongside alongside another ride of just a few weeks the Diamant De Semilly mare, The Black Flyer.

Alistair Gray steered Lorraine Orr’s Vivaldi sired seven-year-old Bambi VI into second at Morris in the RHS novice and third at Fife in the RHS Classic to earn them two tickets for the Highland.

Onto Tillyoch and another three juniors secured their places at the finals in June.

Young Abi Gladstone, daughter of equine dentist, Gail Rogan, kept her mother on edge throughout as she tackled her first 128cm RHS qualifier on the coloured Remote Controlled.

Giving the fences air and being well ridden by Abi, who is used to producing her own ponies from scratch, this pair was over the moon with their fourth place and qualifying ticket.

Mya Roxburgh Caira on Chivaz and Jenna Ross on Clailu Saffron also went through in the 148cm RHS qualifier in third and fourth places, respectively.

Kilmarnock’s Natalie Devlin made the trip to Area 14 show at Greenland Equestrian to jump n their fabulous new outdoor surface and tackle the Silver League qualifier.

Riding Coulters Candy, Natalie rode a scorching jump off to win the class outright and see her go straight to the semi finals to be held in August from which she will have a chance of HOYS qualification.