TURTON eventer Tayla Brooks had the ride of her life to seal her first ever dressage title.

The 26-year-old, who works as a project manager for JD Sports, won the Petplan Equine Area Festival Novice Bronze Championships at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire.

She rode to victory on eight-year-old Irish gelding Springwind Catwalk, which she knows affectionately as Fred.

The pair earned 72 per cent in the qualifying heat and then repeated that feat with a clean and expressive performance in the second round.

“It’s feels amazing – a bit surreal really,” said Tayla after the prize-giving, held in front of a large crowd gathered at Hartpury for day four of the prestigious NAF Winter Dressage Championships.

“I came with no expectations. Just to come in the top 15 and get to round two was my aim.

“But he [Springwind Catwalk] felt mega today – he was really ‘on it’ in both tests.”

Brooks primarily events but started pure dressage under the advice of trainer Paula Holden.

She added: “I did it to improve our eventing scores but I never imagined it would lead to this.

"Fred is a really chilled out, cheeky horse and makes us laugh on the yard. He has it all – everything you’d want in a horse.”

The pair will now aim to secure elementary qualification as well as, with their Eventing hats on, qualify for the Badminton Grass Roots championships in 2018.

Brooks qualified to compete in the Area Festival last autumn after winning one of the regional events, held to allow grassroots riders the chance to experience competition at a major championships.