The 16-year-old from Horninghold this year became the youngest ever recipient of the prestigious TopSpec Eventing Scholarship, by winning the 2009 competition.

She also secured a first place finish at Buckminster Horse Trials in the KBIS British Equestrian Junior Regional Novice Section in July.

On the 15.1hh Strike a Pose, she won with a good dressage score of 27.1 and only receiving 2.0 time penalties in the cross-country phase, finishing on a score of 29.10 penalties.

At the Jardy Horse Trials in the summer, Eliza and Strike finished a creditable fourth. She has also been competing with another horse, Secret Rising

Eliza, who is at school in Rutland, has already had a successful career in pony eventing with Killacoran Blue and was a silver medal-winning British team member at the Pony European Championships in Switzerland last year.

Her transition to the junior programme this year has started well with six-year-old Strike competing at Intermediate level. The TopSpec prize included a year’s supply of feed, supplements and additives.