British dressage star Carl Hester brought the curtain down on day one at the Equerry Bolesworth International Horse Show with a stylish victory.
Gloucestershire-based Carl, one of the sport’s biggest names, won the Intermediate 1 freestyle to music class, sponsored by British Dressage.
Riding Brioso, a score of 78.520% saw him head up a 14-strong field, with Portugal’s Luis Principe taking second spot aboard R.S Raphael on 75.800%.
Jessica Dunn and Alicante Valley secured third with a score of 74.205%, just in front of fourth-placed Alice Oppenheimer and Headmore Davina on 74.165%.
Cheshire rider Sarah Higgins dominated the British Dressage Advanced Medium class, sponsored by Rawson Digital, as she continued a rich vein of form.
Sarah, who is based an hour away from Bolesworth in Knutsford, finished first and second.
She topped the leaderboard on 10-year-old gelding Elixer after posting a score of 70.526%, and filled the runners-up spot with Easter Bunny II on 68.947%.
Third place went to Emma Woolley, riding Retro Hit, on 68.882%.
Sarah Higgins and Elixer winning the Rawson Digital Advanced Medium
