FLOORS CASTLE was the magnificent backdrop to the latest fixture on the Scottish eventing calendar.

As always, Jamie Innes’ cross country tracks produced galloping, flowing rounds, while Kenny Randall’s show jumping achieved the right number of clears in all sections.

Ruth Edge had a very successful trip winning a total of three sections, including taking the top two spots in the novice regional final.

Ruth rode Pauline Fletcher’s home-bred Fleetwater Opposition sired Elite Opposition to finish on her dressage score of 24.6. This combination were winners of the four-year-old young event horse championship in 2007 and last year won pre-0novice at Hexham and novice at Witton. Ruth, who has high hopes for the talented six-year-old, said: “He was just magic today. I am so pleased with him. He hasn’t run much this year as he had a virus but he was really on form and went superbly in all three phases.” He will now head to Gatcombe for the novice finals and then possibly 1* later this year.

A costly show jump demoted dressage leader Sir David Hart’s Applejack II into second spot. This seven-year-old by Calvados won the novice section at Broadway last time out with Tor Brewer who was deputising for Ruth until she returned to full fitness after her knee operation in the winter.

Ruth commented: “He was brilliant. I have not had him back long at all! He went hunting when I had my operation, then Tor took him on until I got my full fitness back, so he has only been back with me for a few weeks.” Applejack II will now head to the 1* at Burgie.

Ruth continued to dominate the weekend by winning the OI on Susan Kerfoot’s PC Wilson. Ruth and the Welt Hit II sired 13-year-old were 3* winners at Hartpury last year and were second earlier this season in the 3* at Burnham Market.

Ruth reflected: “He was really classy. He couldn’t have done any better, he really didn’t put a foot wrong.” They will now head 3* at Lumuhlen and then to an autumn 3*.

The final victory of the weekend for Ruth came with another Susan Kerfoot owned horse, this time the home-bred Rogersdale in the BE 100. The seven-year-old by Welton Ambassador was produced for Ruth by the late Ian Olding. The combination led from the start with an impressive 15.5 dressage and had only one show jump down to add to their score. They also recently won the open BE100 at Central Scotland and will now head Novice.

Ruth said: “I was thrilled with his dressage and very pleased with his mark. He was really unlucky to have one down in the show jumping but he was great cross country. Floors in one of my favourite events. The cross country gets you in a great rhythm and it is a really forward galloping course. The going was fantastic and the lovely weather just topped it off. The organisers really had everything on their side!”

The intermediate class was won by Louisa Milne Home and the Toulon-sired King Eider who denied Ruth and Carnival Prince the victory, putting them into second spot.

Louisa commented: “He was a really good boy! He was sixth after the dressage so there are still a few marks to be had there. He was really well behaved and workmanlike and is so much stronger this year. I didn’t push him for the time cross country last year as the ground tended to be bad, so today was the first time I have gone for it and he was great. My aim was to qualify for the intermediate championship which is what I have done so now I just need to stop being a granny and go for it!” Louisa now plans to compete in the intermediate at Hexham and the 2* at Burgie.

The intermediate novice section was won by Tanya Buckingham and the Master Imp sired Imperial Flight who were closely challenged by David Gatherer and Claire Campbell’s Ahorn stallion Schiller, with only 0.4 penalties separating the two. David commented: “I was really pleased with him today. He went really well and gave me three level performances.” Schiller will now head to the 1* at Burgie.

The JRN class was claimed by Sara Dudgeon and her talented Pebbly Paint Box. This combination are having a great season so far, never being out of the top three places. Sara also came third with Turbo Toy, making their debut at this level. In second spot was Kirriemuir winner Stephanie O’Neil and Just By Chance IV.

Other novice section were won by the six-year-old Dalcotes Stensby and Sara Burdess, Heidi Woodhead won section H with DHI Warenco H while section J was won by Millthyme Corolla and Andrew Heffernan.

The BE100 classes were all closely fought with section A being won by James Adams and Loumic Laphia and Ian Clark won section B with the classy Centre Street. Osteopath Robert Wilson went one better than he had at Scone to win section C with Diamond Swap, while section D was taken by Rathvara and Gillian Bassett. Finally, local rider Emily Galbraith rode Francesca Peter’s Bold Escape to win section E.

LEADINGawards:

BE100 A - 1, Loumic Laphia, J Adams, 29,0,0,0,0=29; 2, Match Point, I Innes-Kerr, 30.5,0,0,0,0=30.5; 3, Marjanaver City, C Anderson, 33,0,0,0,0=33. B - 1, Centre Street, I Clark, 30,0,0,0,0=30; 2, Misty Magic, V Gow, 31,0,0,0,0=31; 3, Indian River, A Drummond, 30.5,4,0,0,0=34.5. C - 1, Diamond Swap, R Wilson, 24.5,0,0,0,0=24.5; 2, Danton II, J Close, 26,0,0,0,0=26; 3, Soul Man, K Donachie, 27.5,0,0,0,0=27.5. D - 1, Rathvara, G Bassett, 29.5,0,0,0,0.4=29.9; 2, Lisnamult Imp, K Snowball, 30,0,0,0,0=30; 3, Isle Be There, G Knox, 32,0,0,0,0=32. E - 1, Bold Escape, E Galbraith, 28.5,0,0,0,0.8=29.3; 2, Stonedge, N Roncoroni, 32,0,0,0,0=32; 3, Double Deal III, Ju Lawson, 33,0,0,0,0=33. F - 1, Rogersdale, R Edge, 15.5,4,0,0,0=19.5; 2, Well Designed, J Straker, 31.5,0,0,0,0=31.5; 3, Manor Red, J Tweddall, 28,4,0,0,0=32. JRN - 1, Pebbly Paint Box, S Dudgeon, 35,0,0,0,0=35; 2, Just By Chance IV, S O’Neil, 36,4,0,0,0=40; 3, Turbo Toy, S Dudgeon, 32.5,8,0,0,0=40.5. Nov G - 1, Dalcotes Stensby, S Burdess, 29.5,4,0,0,0=33.5; 2, Bandoshea, M Chalmers, 34.5,0,0,0,0=34.5; 3, Hot House Sundance, K Bolton, 31.5,0,0,0,3.2=34.7. H - 1, DHI Warenco, H Woodhead, 32,0,0,0,0=32; 2, Inde, N Wilson, 36,0,0,0,1.6=37.6; 3, Words and Deeds, S Burdess, 36,4,0,0,0=40. J - 1, Millthyme Corolla, A Heffernan, 30,0,0,0,0=30; 2, My Abalution, L Broad, 28.5,0,0,0,2.4=30.9; 3, Lauras Ghareeb, A Warnecke, 28.5,4,0,0,0=32.5. Int N - 1, King Eider, L Milne Home, 30.9,0,0,0,0=30.9; 2, Carnaval Prince II, R Edge, 32.7,0,0,0,0=32.7; 3, Looks Similar, I Stark, 30.9,4,0,0,0=34.9. IN - 1, Imperial Flight, T Buckingham, 30.5,0,0,0,0=30.5; 2, Schiller, D Gatherer, 30.9,0,0,0,0=30.9; 3, Demoiselle, E-J Middleton, 34.6,0,0,0,0=34.6. NRF - 1, Elite Opposition, R Edge, 24.6,0,0,0,0=24.6; 2, Applejack II, R Edge, 21.8,4,0,0,0=25.8; 3, Sligo Lucky Valier, G Parsonage, 28.2,0,0,0,0=28.2. OI - 1, PC Wilson, R Edge, 23.6,0,0,0,0=23.6; 2, Showtime, A Heffman, 26.4,4,0,0,0=30.4; 3, Nick of Thyme, R Edge, 31.8,0,0,0,0=31.8.