The organisers at the second Central Scotland horse trials, held at Scone Palace, really had their work cut out for them as weather conditions deteriorated in the lead up to the event.

However, due to the work that James Oakden’s team had put in, the event ran smoothly and ground conditions held up remarkably well.

The show jumping proved a stiff track and Robert Canney’s time also caused a few problems. Ian Stark’s cross country asked a few questions but rode very well.

In the CIC** Mark Kyle made the journey north worthwhile with a repeat of the spring success taking first and second spots.

This time it was the Kyle’s own Step In Time II that took the spoils with Ronnie Barlett’s spring winner Coolio demoted to second spot.

Mark’s father bred the 10-year-old by Step Together and Mark and Tanya have brought the horse on.

Mark commented: “I am very pleased with how he went. He did his best dressage test ever. The time was very tight in the show jumping and we had five time faults which could have been very costly. He was very good cross country, he is naturally a very fast horse which made the time easy to achieve. Scone is a lovely event, it is well organised and laid out.”

Mark will now take him to Blair to contest the CCI***.

Coolio, Ronnie Barlett’s classy Ghareeb-sired seven-year-old, added a costly 2.8 time penalties to put him 0.3 behind Step In Time II.

Mark reflected: “Coolio went very well, he is very consistent having won this class in the spring. He did a good dressage and a lovely showjumping clear. He had a few time faults cross country because I decided to take a long route at the bounce coming out of the water as it had not been riding well. It was nice his owner Ronnie Bartlett was there to see him go so well.”

Coolio will now aim to go to the seven-year-old championships at Le Lion D’Angers in October.

The Scottish novice championship was won by Coolio’s former rider Alan Gilbert with David and Jane Reid’s talented Countdown II. The Malmsey-sired eight-year-old was the only horse to finish with a clean sheet adding nothing to his dressage mark.

Alan commented: “I knew he was a very capable horse, but I was not expecting that result! I have only ridden him twice in the last month, once was the day before the event. David wanted me to have a few sits on him cross country, which is great as I have nothing at this level to ride.

“He was great cross country. He has all the scope to go advanced but Jane isn’t interested in riding at that level any more so he is for sale. I had been round on Malevich so I knew the time was tight, but he flew round. He was outstanding in the show jumping - it’s his strongest phase. The show jumping is so influential now that it is great to be sitting on a jumper,” Alan added.

Runner up was Yorkshire based Tracy Garside and Forget Me Not. Tracy bought the mare as a four-year-old from her breeder Erica Klein and has produced her herself.

Tracy reflected: “She was brilliant but I am gutted about having that show jump down! I took a pull at the wrong time and I shouldn’t have! The cross country was a lovely track. She won at Hendersyde, which is an Ian Stark course and I really loved it, so got a late entry here. It was well worth the six-hour journey!”

Tracy will now aim at the CCI* at Osberton in September before the mare has a well earned holiday.

Wills Oakden filled third spot with Merikano.

Georgia Burns and her 10-year-old Miss Repertoire won the intermediate.

Giorgia commented: “She was brilliant! She has not been out for a while, so I was a bit worried as her next thing is the CCI* at Blair. She did a brilliant dressage test. She is quite big so I can find it hard to keep her together but she was great today. I was first to go in the show jumping so didn’t have the benefit of watching any one else. I didn’t think we were messing about, but we got a time penalty. The cross country had a few questions in it but she didn’t look at anything.”

Nicky Roncorni had a good event winning a novice section with the six-year-old Night Porter.

Nicky said: “I am delighted with him. I had him as a four-year-old, then Craig Anderson took him over as a five-year-old. Due to Craig’s broken leg I got him back along with My Man Friday who was also second in a novice. He was really good in all three phases today. The course was fantastic, and I really liked the changes they have made. The time was tight so you needed to ride a few tight lines, but it was the best going I have run on this year.”

Georgia Burns continued her good form taking second spot with Una McLean’s Welton Gabrielle. Georgia and the seven-year-old by Welton Crackerjack added nothing to their dressage mark of 35.2.

“She can get excited in the dressage but I rode her with no pressure today and she tried really hard for me so I am delighted. She show jumped clear in the time, which was brilliant. The track was well built but it was catching a fair few out. She was quick cross country - she is really bold and a quick learner. I thought she might look at a few of the skinnies but she didn’t back off,” said Georgia.

LEADINGawards:

BE90 - A - 1, Burlington Bertie, L Ashwell, 30.5,0,0,3.2=33.7; 2, Dwina De Cavron, D Scott, 34.5,0,0,0=34.5; 3, Tiffin II, R Stenhouse, 38.5,0,0,1.2=39.7. B - 1, Lunacruz, A Haddow, 37.5,0,0,0=37.5; 2, Royal Touch, A Marples, 39,0,0,0=39; 3, Fyfyn, H Chalmers, 35.5,0,0,4.4=39.9. C - 1, Lady MaCaully, K Weir, 36.5,0,0,0=36.5; 2, Cobblers Dream, G Sleight, 38,0,0,0=38; 3, Umbro II, M Johnston, 35.5,0,0,3.2=38.7. D - 1, Custom Maid, C Yeaman, 41.5,0,0,0=41.5; 2, Jesters Mate, K Horne, 39,4,0,0=43; 3, Miami Breeze, C Watson, 38,4,0,2.4=44.4. Open - 1, Permanent Wave, R Chalmers, 29,0,0,7.6=36.6. BE100. E - 1, Victory Blues, O Haddow, 27.5,0,0,0=27.5; 2, Faerie Myth, J Lawson, 27,4,0,0=31; 3, Elton John, L Milne Home, 25,4,0,2=31. F - 1, Beethoven Du Beaumont, C Watt, 31,0,0,0=31; 2, Valco II, B Edward, 35.5,0,0,0=33.5; 3, Dauntless Night, L Galloway, 29.5,4,0,0.4=33.9. G - 1, Balhagarty Harvest Gold, J Burnett, 24,4,0,0=28; 2, Arctic Soul, N Roncoroni, 21,4,0,6.8=31.8; 3, Bratavio, E Moyes, 30.5,4,0,0=34.5. Open - 1, O’Sullivan, S Mayberry, 31,0,0,0=31; 2, Primer Maxima, O Haddow, 34.5,0,0,0=34.5; 3, Phantom Threeonine, L MacGillivray, 35.5,0,0,0=35.5. Novice - I - 1, Onwards and Upwards, J Hughes, 33.3,0,0,0=33.3; 2, My Man Friday, N Roncoroni, 30,4,0,2.4=36.4; 3, Temptation Z, K Geddes, 27.1,0,0,9.6=36.7. J - 1, Annie Clover, N Wilson, 22.9,0,0,3.6=26.5; 2, Bratton Little John, J Hughes, 33.3,4,0,0=37.3; 3, Just Keats, R Stewart, 37.1,4,0,0=41.4. K - 1, Night Porter, N Roncoroni, 23.8,4,0,6=33.8; 2, Welton Gabrielle, G Burns, 35.2,0,0,0=35.2; 3, Riot On Que, A Johnston, 36.2,0,0,3.6=39.8. JON - 1, Match Point, I Innes-Kerr, 34.8,0,0,0=34.8; 2, Athens Aberdare, R Pindar, 37.1,4,0,3.6=44.7; 3, Jacaranda Prince, S Brownlie, 42.4,4,0,0.4=46.8. Scottish Novice Championships - 1, Countdown II, A Gilbert, 35.5,0,0,0=35.5; 2, Forget Me Not, T Garside, 31.4,4,0.8,0= 36.2; 3, Merikano, W Oakden, 34.6,4,0,0=38.6. CIC** - 1, Step in Time II, M Kyle, 51.4,5,0,0=56.4; 2, Coolio, M Kyle, 53.9,0,2.8,0=56.7; 3, Natiro D, A Von Sperber, 51.9,0,5.6,0=57.5. Int - 1, Miss Repertoire, G Burns, 37.3,4,0,6.4=47.7; 2, Catch Up Quick, J Frewen, 40.5,4,0,4=48.5; 3, Innocent Flight, E Carmichael, 40.9,8,0,4.8=53.7.