A TALENTED young dressage rider is celebrating after winning a national riding competition.

Florence Human, 17, won the Petplan Area Festival Final in the U21 Medium Class with her horse, Briljant on Wednesday (October 2).

The victory means she will be taking the horse to the Petplan National Finals in Hartpury in April next year.

The determined rider is currently studying for her A Levels at Strode College but still finds the time to train every day with her horses, Fulgencio and Briljant, at her family home in Mark.

Will Human, Florence's father, said: "We bought Brian in March 2018 as a schoolmaster as he knows a number of advanced moves and was helping to teach Florence these movements before she took them over to her number one horse, Fulgencio. "She decided to start competing him to give Fulgencio a bit of a break and also to broaden Brian’s role.

"Brian is not the easiest to ride and Florence often remarks that we don’t realise just how hard she is working to keep "Brian’s mind on the job as he has a history of spooking with very little encouragement.

"However it all came together at Bicton yesterday when the pair scored 70.15 per cent to secure the win, a clear 3 per cent ahead of second place.

"This win follows her other wins in the summer on Fulgencio with BD Youth South West team and at the BD National Summer Freestyle champs. It also means that Brian now has a sash to match his stablemate."