The inclusion of Royal Highland Show qualifiers back into the Scottish show jumping calendar for the first time in two years, has added a buzz of excitement and enthusiasm to the circuit as everyone becomes fiercely competitive trying to bag an early qualifying ticket for the prestigious finals.

Travelling up and down the country and being successful at every venue is Edinburgh-based Sandy McLean, who has a strong team of horses to choose from.

Riding his own and Jim Wilmer’s Dee Dee Demour, Sandy is now through to the RHS B+C final as well as the Young Masters with wins at Tillyoch, Peterculter, and the Scottish National Equestrian Centre, Broxburn.

This nine-year-old grey mare, by Daniel, also finished runner-up in a Blue Chip Dynamic Grade C qualifier and looks set to give her owners plenty of fun this summer. Sandy also rides For Ever for Jim who has been seen winning in the 1.1m sections.

Sandy’s own Aragon Des Dames lifted another Young Masters qualifier with a win at SNEC and stablemate, Gravin Tina JL, galloped to victory in a very fast B+C qualifier at SNEC to take the spoils beating the other 15 combinations double clear by an incredible four seconds.

Lucy Stewart has just learned that her three rides have finished at the top of the Scottish Silver League for this season with all being consistent winners this winter.

The eight-year-old Jortel La Vie is starting to come into his own now having not been the easiest to produce, but Lucy has worked away with him and is now seeing the rewards.

They stood at the top of the line in the RHS Novice qualifier at Tillyoch before heading to SNEC to tackle their first B+C finish second and qualify for their second final.

Charley Hamilton had a fabulous show on home turf at Tillyoch where she won a handful of classes and jumped plenty of double clears being another rider with a good string of horses at her disposal.

Horatio Van Ter Hulst was her winning ride in the B+C but he also picked up a blue ticket in the Classic Qualifier giving Charley two rides with this one.

Emma Crawford’s horses have all found form with Dukes Of Hazzard through to the B+C and the Young Masters already.

Joining him in the Young Masters is Ferragamo, which stood third at Tillyoch but she also has two younger horses coming through who will make an appearance this year at Ingliston.

Casadagio – a seven-year-old by Adagio De Talm – has been produced by Emma since a five-year-old making the RHS Novice qualifier look easy slotting into fourth to qualify.

The eight-year-old Juno Rose 23 has only just stepped up to Foxhunter but also collected her ticket for a third place at Tillyoch.

Douglas Duffin will be heading off abroad again soon but not before he collected a few qualifying tickets. Riding Vicky Tulloch’s speedy little Klein Stargette, one of the first offspring of the Olympic gold medallist Big Star out of Vicky’s superstar mare Soliegette they have been winning Foxhunter classes so it was no surprise to see him head a forty-starter Novice qualifier at SNEC.

Just for good measure, Douglas also stood second on Olijfe Van De Doperheide.

Kathleen Hamilton has been keeping busy competing south of the border as well as taking her son William to shows. With her family sponsoring the Novice qualifier it was only fitting that her second place on Ohio Van De Hunters will see her take part in the finals.

Fraser Reed rode the handsome grey, Hunterstone, at Tillyoch and SNEC for a fourth in the Novice qualifier and a third in the B+C.

Kelly Connor now has Glamour Boy H through to the B+C as does Sandra Low Mitchell on Carlingfords On The Rocks.

Aileen Craig is enjoying having her own base just outside Kilmaurs with a fabulous new arena to train in. She was seen winning a Blue Chip Dynamic Grade B qualifier with Immer Gewissenhaft before steering No Kojak R into third place in the RHS Novice qualifier at SNEC.

Scott Blair is almost untouchable on the grey Halvador with quite a few wins and top placings under their belt already this year at Northcote, Morris, Tillyoch and The Cabin with their outright win in the Classic at Tillyoch securing them their first RHS final ticket.

One young rider in an enviable position right now is Fergal Holohan, from Coylton, in Ayrshire, who has been seen doing very well in senior and junior classes this winter.

Riding the Irish-bred Killossery Kameo, he not only won the Classic qualifier ahead of Amy Ogilvie and Kardento SCAIS at SNEC but also the Blue Chip Karma qualifier the same weekend.

Dividing his time between horses and his 148cm Fergal recently qualified the Cruising bred Little Flexible for the Winter JC finals going treble clear into second place at Arena UK. The weekend before this, they were at SNEC where a win in the Liz Fox JC/JD and runner up in the 148cm qualifier sees them collect two tickets for the RHS finals.

Just to keep him extra busy the 12-year-old grey, Snow IV, also jumped treble clear at Arena UK in another Winter JC for second and will join Little Flexible in this and the Liz Fox finals.

The German-bred Kira Bell has joined his team this year and already qualified for the Highland in the 148cm as the Blue Chip Sparkle.

Anna Black also jumped three clears in this Winter JC with her latest ride, Moon Man, with this combination worth keeping an eye on as they get to know each other.

Millie Lawson is getting a good tune out of the chestnut 148cm Yolo and has been enjoying training with Eleni Murphy this winter. The coaching has been paying off when Yolo jumped three super clears in the Winter JA Classic at Northcote to finish second but then came home to SNEC to win a hard fought RHS qualifier which saw seven go against the clock and four return double clears.

Millie took top spot in 35.59s, Fergal was second in 35.80s, Madelaine Archibald on her own Bay Friend third in 37.38s and Michael McColm fourth on AG Dynamo in 41.35s with the reimaging riders having a pole on the floor each but all within the 100ths of a second.

Madelaine and Bay Friend are also through to the Blue Chip Sparkle finals as well as the Winter JA, so have a busy summer ahead.

Dumfries and Galloway girls, Georgie Barr and Charlotte Gaw, are both through to the Liz Fox JC Finals. Newton Stewart’s Georgie riding Curravordy Maxi Million just rubbed on pole out in the jump-off for third place, whilst Kirkcowan’s Charlotte remained clear all the way on Clonberne Leam Pondi.

Michael McColm is having a great start to his 148cm year with wins and placings at all the pony premiers with his pair AG Dynamo and Tobar King. The former won a strong RHS 148cm at Morris staying ahead of Millie Lawson, on Maifield Another Sunrise.

Morgan Thompson left her base at Blue Ridge, Falkirk, to compete in Vilamoura with three horses. T-Rex has been in the money with quite a few wins in the CSI1* 1.1m sections.

Natalie Devlin riding her faithful partner Coulters Candy scorched round to head a hotly contested Star Championship qualifier and Natasha McKee had a great show at Howe when her mother’s Loudoun Illusion won a Discovery and a British Novice then Jane Dickies Reamoir was also consistently in the money.