Evie Paterson was Shrophire’s star performer at the spring Weston Park Horse Trials that attracted many of the world’s greatest event riders to the venue near Shifnal.

The 17-year-old from Dudleston Heath, near Ellesmere, led the Open Intermediate Under-21 section – a competition closely watched by the Great Britain selectors looking to put together teams for the junior and Young Rider European Championships.

Evie finished nearly two marks clear of the field on her nine-year-old bay thoroughbred gelding Direct Opposition, who was also third in the OI Under-21 section at Lincoln last month.

“I was thrilled to do so well, particularly at this venue – my mother Rose is a trustee of Weston and it’s our local,” said Evie, a student at Cheltenham Ladies College.

“Chips, as we call my horse at home, had to go through the cross-country course to get to the dressage arena so he got a bit excited in the opening phase.

“I was pleased with his mark of 30.9, if not completely happy with his test, and his canter work was good.”

The pair jumped clear in the following show jumping phase and then faced Janet Plant’s cross-country course, considered one of the most testing spring tracks in the early British Eventing calendar.

“I was under instructions from my trainer Tuffy Tilley to take it steady cross-country so I didn’t push Chips,” Evie continued.

“I was surprised we finished so close to the optimum time – we had one of the quicker times in the section.

“Chips is so clever and neat on his feet – he balances himself and judges distances so well I am sure he could go round on his own. The course was quite technical on what was quite fast ground.”

Evie will now take a week off to go ski-ing, while her horse ‘relaxes at home’.

The pair will then travel to the Under-21 trial at Hambleden in Oxfordshire on her return.

By KATE HEALEY