Turpitt fulfils her dream

An amateur rider celebrates a major milestone, while home-breds excel and a talented mare returns revitalised

- POLLY BRYAN

The Cabin, Aberdeenshire

“I WAS squealing my way up the centre line,” said Sam Turpitt, who was quite overcome to have finally reached grand prix level with Bali Dancer, the Barclay mare she’s had since a two-year-old.

“I’ve struggled mentally with the whole grand prix thing,” Sam admitted. “There are so many marks, with so much that can go wrong, and I’m a perfectionist. It’s so hard to be good at grand prix as an amateur with limited funds. Bali wasn’t an expensive horse but we’ve just kept chipping away. She’s taken me to places I never imagined.”