HOLLY Woodhead provided the perfect tribute to her late grandfather by enjoying a fairytale debut at last weekend’s Bramham International Horse Trials.

The 21-year-old, who is based at Jo and Craig Horton’s Dayhouse Farm, near Coate Water, marked her first-ever appearance at Bramham, which was also the first CCI three-star competition of her career, with a scorching victory in the U25 section that carried more than a little emotional gravitas.

Grimsby-raised Woodhead followed up her fine 33-point dressage score with clear cross country and show jumping rounds to seal top spot with a yawning gap of 11.20 on DHI Lupison – an 11-year-old Gelding that was owned by her grandfather Alan, who died a matter of weeks ago.

“My late grandad died two weeks ago, so that made it even more emotional,” said the Swindon-based rider, who is has been a member of the British Equestrian Federation’s World Class Development Programme since December 2014.

“I’m over the moon. It was just unbelievable. I went into the dressage arena to try and get a score in the 40s, so to get 33 was out of this world.

“He (DHI Lupison) rode so well in the cross country and showed how fit he was on a hilly course by finishing one second under the time.

“He then felt really good going in to the showjumping. I wasn’t thinking about what second-place or third-place was doing. I just blanked it all out.

“To still finish on 33 is amazing. It still hasn’t really sunk in and after the thing with eventing is that afterwards on Sunday, I just had to think about what’s next.

“But I’ll try and celebrate next weekend.”

Woodhead moved to Swindon in February after spending two-and-a-half years based at New Zealand legend Mark Todd’s Badgerstown complex in Foxhill.

Meanwhile, another local eventer is celebrating a breakthrough result at Bramham.

Flora Harris, who is based at Baydon House Farm, near Marlborough, upset the odds to claim the top CCI three-star title, trumping eventing royalty such as world number one William Fox-Pitt, Pippa Funnell and Andrew Nicholson along the way.

The 27-year-old, who is also a part of the British World Class Development squad, posted 36.80 penalties during the dressage phase on Bayano and went clear through the cross country and show jumping rounds to finish just over four points ahead of second-placed Kitty King.