Melanie Phillips second at Stoneleigh

3:20pm Thursday 16th October 2008

HEREFORDSHIRE rider and stud manager Melanie Phillips finished second in the National Dressage Championships at Stoneleigh.

Phillips and Ruxton Whisper also won the Best of British Bred in the Novice Open Championships.

They were beaten by fewer than 1% in one of the most hotly-contested classes at the show.

Phillips said: “This was a fabulous result for Ruxton Horses and it’s the icing on the cake because we have had a fantastic year.”

Ruxton Whisper, an eight-year-old mare by Weltmeyer, was bred by the late Mrs Kirby, who was a respected breeder from Grosmont.

Ruxton Horses is a family-run business which breeds and produces horses for dressage and show jumping.