THE BLAIR Castle International Horse Trials and Country Fair reached its climax yesterday with the final phase of show jumping.

There was everything to ride for in the three-star event in the shadow of Blair Castle, as competitors jumped in reverse order.

Clea Phillipps from Loughborough, placed fourth after dressage and cross-country, jumped clear —then had to wait for the three ahead of her to jump.

However as pole after pole fell, she was thrilled to find herself the winner of the Duke of Atholl Challenge Cup—riding the aptly named Lead The Way.

Matthew Wright from Nottinghamshire, on Charlotte Cole’s grey Well Spotted, dropped one pole but remained in second place, adding just four penalties to his dressage score of 56.

Lucy Wiegersma won the three-star at Blair in 2004 and the two-star twice. She entered the arena in the lead but Beckli dropped three poles to finish third.

Lucy and Clea were members of the winning English three-star team.

Borders rider Charlotte Agnew finished fifth on 71.3 points riding her own Little Beau, on whom she represented Britain at the 2005 Junior European Champion-ships.

A delighted Matt Prior from Kent took the Dunalastair two-star class riding his mother’s horse Political Trump.

A good dressage score of 45.3 placed him fifth on Friday and double clears with-in the time in cross country and show jumping meant he finished on his dressage score, 1.2 penalties ahead of Australian Bill Levett.

Ruth Edge of Cumbria, sixth after the dressage, finished third on 48.3 with Carine Campbell’s Mayhem III.

Levett, riding Blacker Cat NJ, added only 2.4 cross-country time penalties to his dressage score of 44.1.

Levett’s score helped the Rest of the World team win the team event. Other members were Italian Lorenzo Riva, New Zealander Kirsty Williamson and Swede Therese Wahlberg.

Top Scot in the two-star was Sarra Mayberry from Thornhill, Stirling, riding her own Tell Tarragon which finished on the dressage score of 66. Sarra was a member of the gold medal-winning team at the 2005 European Young Rider Championships in Sweden last year.

Lucy Wiegersma made her trip from Cornwall worthwhile by winning the one-star class and the Blair Castle Horse Trials quaich riding the Perkins’ Porloe Alvin,which finished on its dressage score of 42.9.

Tina Canton from Newark led after dressage with a score of 41.8 and went clear on cross-country, but King Acacia had a pole down to drop her to second. Third was Keep Your Options Open, ridden by Ewart Woolley from Cheshire.

The one-star team event was won by the English. Best Scot was Grace McRae, Kinross, in 15th riding her own Porthill Rusty Nail.