A promising up-and-coming dressage rider from Malvern has returned home after winning European gold.

13-year-old Ella-Grace Dovey and her horse, Sheepcote Jackson, have made British Dressage history by becoming the first pair from Great Britain to secure an individual gold medal in Children on Horses at The European Championships.

Dovey, who met Jackson just three months ago, led her steed to victory at the championships in Opglabbeek, Belgium earlier this month.

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Under her command, Jackson has been undefeated in all competitions to date, including four international events at Hickstead & Wellington CDIs and two nationals at the Addington Premier League.

Jackson, owned by David and Serena Pincus from Herefordshire, is trained alongside Dovey by Katie Bailey at Abbey Dressage in Tewkesbury.

Dovey and Jackson were among 53 competitors taking part in the Europeans from countries across the continent.

The duo initially came 12th in the preliminary competition, then ninth in the team event, and eventually surged in the final individual contest, where the pair triumphantly claimed gold.

Dovey and Jackson achieved an exceptional score of 79.706 per cent, with the Netherlands coming second and Germany third.

A month from now, Dovey and Jackson plan to compete at the National Championships where she aims to win a national title and extend her rapidly growing collection of medals.