Katy Lawrence, riding Cheyenne Balloon, was crowned the winner of the BE100 section of the LeMieux Grassroots Championships at MARS Badminton Horse Trials after adding no further penalties to her dressage score of 25.9.

Katy, a freelance BHS coach, has been riding the 14-year-old bay mare, who was given to her, for three years. “She can either be very relaxed and chilled or can get quite het-up, but she has gone from strength to strength. This is beyond anything I dreamed of – it’s a lovely feeling.”

Maisie Morgan finished second, just 0.2 penalties in arrears, on the nine-year-old grey Bright Rinco, and the dressage leaders, Jane Rogers and Corrieview Merlin Magic, took third place after one showjumping rail down. Jane, 60, from Devon, bred the 18-year-old palomino gelding; they were runners-up in 2023.

The LeMieux Grassroots Championship offers a golden opportunity for novice and amateur riders to compete on the hallowed ground of Badminton and it attracted more than 180 entries across the two sections.

The BE90 victor was Emily Proud riding HSF Lobo Royale, a handsome nine-year-old grey gelding who has a dual career as a working hunter and was qualified for HOYS – this was only his third horse trials, having qualified with a win at Little Downham.

“I was quite nervous and felt under pressure because he had won his qualifier so well,” said Emily, who works as an NHS physiotherapist and backed the horse herself when he was a three-year-old. “I’ve always wanted to ride here and it was an amazing feeling galloping up Worcester Avenue on the cross-country.”

Charlotte Cordy-Redden finished runner-up on Cadilac Jack and Susan Bill was third on Unnamed.

Tomorrow sees the start of the MARS Badminton Horse Trials CCI5*-L. Dressage commences at 9am with Britain’s Kirsty Chabert and Classic Vl first of the 83 starters into the arena.

Photo: Katy Lawrence riding Cheyenne Balloon, BE100 winners