After months of preparation and hard work, one of the largest events staged in Perthshire this year is under way.
The dressage element of the four-day Longines FEI European Eventing Championship at Blair Castle started on Thursday, with the opening ceremony the previous evening.
The competition sees 16 different nations compete in the grounds against the backdrop of the picturesque castle.
The event is also the final opportunity for European entrants to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Mirroring the international field, the event has attracted visitors from across Europe, giving a huge economic boost to hotels and B&Bs.Follow the championship action all weekend at www.thecourier.co.uk/blair2015Around 60,000 people are expected to attend the event which will come to a climax on Sunday when the Queen will make the trip from Balmoral to meet the competitors and present the prizes.
“The last couple of days have been very busy, but all the hard work has paid off,” said event director Alec Lochore.
“Everything is looking fantastic and the cross-country course is attracting some good feedback from the riders.
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“I really recommend that spectators take the opportunity to walk round the whole course when they visit there are some stunning fences and the views are spectacular.
“Saturday looks set to be an exciting day of top level sport.”
The first-day crowds enjoyed warm sunshine though the forecast for the coming days is mixed.
The championship forms part of UK Sport’s major events programme, which is investing around £40 million of National Lottery funding to bring up to 100 world-class events to Great Britain to help build a strong legacy from London 2012 and Glasgow 2014.
The championship is also supported by EventScotland, which has a longstanding relationship with Blair Castle.
On the equestrian front the crowds enjoyed watching Holly Woodhead, a 21-year-old British rider making her debut at a senior championship, shoot to the top of the leaderboard and Sarah Bullimore, whose last-minute call-up to the British squad left her with no time for arena familiarisation, produce a good performance.
They were also treated to the sight of reigning European and Olympic champion Michael Jung perform a superb dressage test on the youngest horse in the field.