AN INTERNATIONAL event rider and her horse Dolley Whisper took an eighth place finish from the prestigious SsangYong Blenheim Palace Horse Trials.

Franky Reid- Warrilow, from Presteigne took part in the UK’s feature autumn event looking to improve on her performance in her previous visit in 2015.

Dressage day saw Reid- Warrilow and Whisper produce a flowing, accurate and harmonious test.

As can sometimes happen with the dressage marking being subjective with 31.5 awarded leaving her just seven marks off the leader.

Cross country at Blenheim is known for being hilly and twisty so the time is always a challenge.

The pair crucially kept that all important rhythm, so everything was taken in their stride without losing valuable seconds and crossed the line clear within the time.

"Whisper gave her all, giving me a fantastic round," said Reid- Warrilow.

"She never stopped trying and dug deep. I couldn’t have asked for more."

Back in 2015 the mare had 14 time faults, so it is a real credit to Reid- Warrilow and her team to cross within the time limit.

Show-jumping day dawned on Sunday, and the duo were sitting in 11th place, with everything to play for.

An out and out jumper Dolley Whisper is known for getting clear rounds.

Reid- Warrilow and Whisper entered the ring knowing what they needed to do. They performed another spectacular clear round within the time.

This combination has never had a fence down on the last day of a three-day event in the 10 years she has been competing.

The final results saw Reid- Warrilow and Whisper finish in eighth place, with their fantastic last phase performance allowing them to climb three places and into a well deserving top 10 spot.

A really fitting end to the 2018 season for this top combination who consistently come up with the goods and demonstrate what true partnerships can continuously achieve.