A NUMBER of Scottish dressage riders made the long trip down to Stoneleigh Park, last week, to compete at the LeMieux National Dressage Championships 2014 where there were 22 championship titles up for grabs.

The Scottish horses and riders really impressed with a number of combinations bringing home rosettes, as well as two championship titles.

Debbie Murray and her own six-year-old British-bred gelding, Fancy Man MFS, took the Dodson and Horrell novice restricted championship with a fantastic 71.44%.

This is the second title that Debbie and Fancy Man MFS (Fendi) have won after they took the prelim championship at the Winter Championships in April, earlier this year.

Debbie who runs a livery yard in Aberdeenshire, bought Fendi from Moray Firth Stud as a foal and has educated him herself with the help of trainers, Harry Payne and Jennifer Johnston.

West Lothian dressage rider, Jo Hamilton (a member of the horsescotland Performance Squad), partnered Corchapin, the exciting prospect she co-owns with Lady Hope, to win the Dressage Deluxe medium open championship with an impressive 72.22% adding to their already illustrious CV.

This is the third successive year that Carl Hester-trained Jo and the charismatic chestnut gelding have earnt a national tile at Stoneleigh - they won the novice open in 2012 and the elementary open in 2013, showing an already impressive career path.

Fourteen-year-old Rebecca Johnston Harman, riding the beautiful five-year-old British-bred mare, The Longhouse Rosadonna, kept a cool head to ride a test well beyond her years, scoring 70.0% and taking fifth place and best British-bred horse in the Backinaction preliminary championship.

This was not the only success of the competition for the family when Rebecca's mother, Jennifer, was placed ninth on a score of 70.44% in the Equilibrium Products elementary open championship with MFS Caliana. This provided another great result for a Moray Firth Stud bred horse.

Another fifth-place rosette went to Aberdeenshire-based Caitlin Padfield in the Equilibrium Products elementary restricted championships. She partnered the huge Upside Down Van De Kwikaard, which stands at 18hh and was originally purchased as a hack for her father.

After an excellent result at the National Dressage Championships, Caitlin's weekend got even better when she went back to Scotland to win the BE 100 regional final at wee Burgie and qualify for the BE 100 'Grassroots' final at Badminton.