Amateur dressage rider from Sheffield jumping for joy after winning national competition

Rachel Platt and her horse Gracia du Rona demonstrated their skills at the Petplan Equine Area Festival at Hartpury College, Gloucestershire on Tuesday 29 June and came out on top in the Intermediate Elementary Silver Championship.

Rachel said: “It’s the icing on the cake, the entire experience and everything about it has been just the best thing.

"It’s just been brilliant, such fun.”

Ten–year-old Gracia du Rona is a Dutch bred mare by Quality Time – and impressed the judges with a powerful performance, achieving the winning score of 70.83 per cent.

Rachel described Gracia as as “character”, adding: “She’s very sweet, we’ve got a tremendous bond. She neighs for me all the time.

She’s quite complicated, but she does try really hard for you, she’s show-jumping bred and so she’s incredibly athletic and very sharp, so you’ve got to be on it all the time with her.”