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Scottish Grassroots Eventing Festival at Scone Palace
The Scottish Grassroots Eventing Festival, comprising the Scottish Grassroots Championships at BE100 and BE90 level, took place during the 2025 Scone Palace International Horse Trials on 20th and 21st August.
Amy Dixon, 41, and Goodluck II (Ronnie) once again became the BE90 Scottish Grassroots champions, having led throughout the competition and completed on their dressage mark of 25.6.They are no stranger to big wins, with Amy the first winner of the Badminton Grassroots Championship at BE90 level in 2010 on a previous horse, and won at Badminton again on Ronnie in 2023, as well as taking the Scottish Grassroots Championship at their previous home of Blair Castle the same year.
“‘Ronnie’ isn’t a natural performer, as such,” said Amy. “He worked in the best he ever has before the dressage, and he always shrinks back at me a bit in the ring - it’s just his personality. He did do a nice test though, and deserved the mark.
“He was brilliant today in the jumping phases; he was really going on the cross-country but I managed to go down the wrong chute and I had to turn round - that lost us a good 30 seconds, so I had to really put my foot down after that and he finished three seconds inside the time.
“I did feel the pressure going into the showjumping - both the third and second had jumped clear - but luckily we jumped clear. I really hoped this morning we could do it, but you need a bit of luck and anything can happen. Ronnie’s bred to do dressage; he does this [eventing] because I ask him to, and he tries his absolute best. It was a decent track with testing lines, but this height is within his comfort zone. He’s not an easy horse - he won’t stand still, he’s stressy, he tows you everywhere; he’s an inside worrier - so it isn’t a given that he will go double clear, but if it was easy it wouldn’t be such an interesting challenge.”
Amy works full time running her family’s café business in Cumbria and admits, “It isn’t easy juggling the horses round that; work always comes first, especially during the summer, but there’s nothing better than a day out eventing. I’m really impressed by everything here - the whole site is amazing. You didn’t have to walk too far up on the grassroots eventing site on Queen’s Drive in front of Scone Palace, there was loads of shade, a lovely arena and great ground.”
Scottish rider Hannah Stephens and her own 11-year-old Arkans High Flyer won the BE100 section of the Scottish Grassroots Championships, adding nothing to their dressage score of 29.3
“I’m gobsmacked,” said Hannah, 23, who juggles training and competing “Sonis” around full-time work in medical diagnostics.
“He likes the dressage, and while it was great to be leading, it did put a lot of pressure on for the next day. This is the first time I’ve ridden a format like this, too, with the cross-country and showjumping taking place the following day. I was feeling the nerves ahead of the showjumping as it was so tight between the top few, but he jumped amazingly well and I’m delighted.”
Hannah, who lives and works in Dundee, bought Sonis as a four-year-old. She explained: “He was my very first horse. I’d never done any eventing prior to getting him, but I thought why not give it all a go and see if he’s any good. Turns out, he’s fantastic. We’ve not done a lot over the past two years as I’ve been at university getting a Master’s degree in chemistry at St Andrews, and Sonis had an injury. We’ve both come back stronger than ever, though, and the hard work has paid off.”
Hannah added: “Eventing and horses are my favourite hobby. Chilling out with Sonis after work is the best thing ever.”
Second were Rowan Lee and Caheradoo Duchess, only 0.6 of a penalty behind the winners on 29.9. The pair also jumped double clear, as did third-placed Pebbles Walker and Shannondale Flight.
Annina Leavey finished runner-up on Indiana Nightlife. They added just one showjumping time-fault to their first-phase score of 28.3 to hold off third-placed Shannon-Louise MacLean (Tullibardine Sgian Dubh, 30.5).
