Local rider Jane Rogers is celebrating this week after taking the silver podium at the grassroots section of Badminton Horse Trials, presented by Mars Equestrian.

Taking place in the first week of May, the two days prior to the famous international horse trials in Gloucestershire, the Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships brings winners of regional finals from around the country to contest the overall British Eventing Championship held at BE90 and BE100 level.

Jane, from Axminster, came away with second place out of 56 starters, on her homebred palomino gelding Corrieview Merlin Magic (Magic) in the BE100 in her fifth year at the event.

Considered by many in the equestrian sector as the highlight of British Eventing’s serious amateur calendar, the Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships is a competition most can only dream of.

With a rigorous qualifying process, only riders with the best scores are given a spot at the regional finals. 

Jane managed to qualify both Magic (BE100) and her younger grey horse, Corrieview Oscar, (BE90) for the three-phase event, competing in the disciplines of dressage, cross-country and show jumping.

Against fierce competition, Jane scored a fantastic 28.5 in the dressage on Magic on Thursday morning, which sat her in second place before the show jumping phase, which she jumped a fantastic clear. With a subsequent cross-country phase to follow, she defended her second place in the prestigious competition with a great clear round.

She led overnight on Wednesday on Oscar in the BE90 with a fantastic dressage score but had two fences down in the show jumping.

Jane, 58, said: “I was delighted with Magic, he has been feeling amazing all this year so far. I really felt he deserved this year to get a place at Badminton.

“It might have taken five years to jump a clear show jumping [round] but so pleased to have done it at last!

“Oscar — gutted about his show jumping, obviously, but he gave me a great round cross-country and, this year, feeling more confident than ever, whereas last year, he finished feeling a bit shellshocked.

“Magic so enjoyed the prize giving. I think he thought he was in heaven, everyone admiring him!”

Congratulations to Jane, Magic and Oscar for such a fine performance in a showpiece event.