Adverse weather which dogged the Scotsburn Horse Trials organising team during preparations for the event was long forgotten when dawn to dusk sunshine once again blessed the competition.

As ever, riders said the cross country course presentation, which ranks the event amongst the best in Scotland, made the UK's most northern eventing contest well worth the journey north and the organising team were praised for their efforts throughout the duration of the competition.

"The cross country was great, it rode really well but it's always good up here," said the first winner of the day, Dorothy Drury, who was continuing her winning ways from Burgie's spring fixture to top the BE90 section A.

She topped the section on-board her own 10-year-old gelding De Profundis. They added 2.8 time penalties to a strong 30 dressage – but during the day, both the ground and the steep nature of Scotsburn's track, saw only two BE90 riders get inside the optimum time XC. In fact, only 17 riders came home inside the time across all the 10 sections.

Adding an international feel to the event, South African rider Naidene Urquhart was denied the optimum time by only one second to top the second BE90 section on board her five-year-old mare Perihelion Peridot.

The BE90 PC section was won by Caithness pony club member Sophie Ramsoy, who was making her eventing debut with her new pony Patsy III.

In the novice class, Laggan's Michelle Chalmers romped home with a double clear. "I thought the cross country was brilliant — typical Scotsburn, big and bold," she explained.

Michelle has owned her winner, Belle Amour II, since she was a four-year-old – starting her from scratch. Michelle hopes she will progress to Weston Park for their CCI*.

Kinross rider Emily Keith made good progress at getting her intermediate eventer Whos McCloud back on track, following a confidence losing round at Blair last year, with a win in the open novice section.

Taking second and fourth in the novice section, Fife rider Wills Oakden also topped BE100 section E. His winner was Annabel Sall's consistent eight-year-old gelding Nordic Diamond Dan, which last season bagged four wins at BE100 at Kirriemuir, Brechin, Burgie and Eglinton.

The remaining BE100 section winners, Eilidh Herd and Eva Sheppard in the open and under 18 sections, respectively, both made it home inside the CC time.

BE90 A – 1, De Profundis, D Drury, BE90 B – 1, Perihelion Peridot, N Urquhart. BE90PC C – 1, Patsy III, S Ramsoy. BE100 open D – 1, Latch Lifter, E Herd. BE100 u18 D1 – 1, Karabah, E Sheppard. BE100 E – 1, Nordic Diamond Dan, W Oakden. Novice F – 1, Belle Amour II, M Chalmers. Open novice F1 – 1, Whos McCloud, E Keith. BE80 G – 1, Ali Dante, J Burnip. BE80PC H – 1, Sherbet, L Bedawi.