Five star performance by sensational Claire

The Six Hills rider won the event, held at Hartpury Arena, Gloucesterhsire, on her eight-year-old mare, Sensation.

Claire finished nearly two per cent clear of runner-up Tamsin Hembrough on Sancerre, scoring 72.22 per cent for victory.

Success was all the sweeter for Claire after a difficult 2017 in which she broke her ribs in a fall from another horse and then her father died unexpectedly.

But in October the mother of three began training in earnest with Sensation, who she has had for five years.

The combination did well at the British Dressage regionals, which enabled them to enter last week’s Winter National Finals at Hartpury Arena.

Claire, who was previously a successful event rider, is really enjoying concentrating on just one element and she is hoping it will be the start of a successful partnership and that they can start to progress through the levels of the dressage world.