Eventer Chris King collected his first ever three day event title at the Blenheim International Horse Trials.

The three- day event, at three star level just one step below Burghley and Badminton, attracted a world class field to the stately surroundings at Blenheim Palace.

King, based in Lechlade, and his mount The Secret Weapon saw off a strong challenge from Sussex based Kristina Cook and Miners Frolic by just over two marks.

The pair were adding to the victory they scored at the Barbury Castle CIC*** (International one day event) in Wiltshire this July, in the best run of King's career to date. They lay fifth after dressage and moved up to take the lead after going clear cross country with just two time penalties, in a phase where only three combinations in the whole competition were able to come home inside the optimum time.

"We also won an advanced section at Aston-le-Walls one day event after Barbury, so our preparation for Blenheim couldn't have gone any better," said King.

"I went cross country with my first ride Silver Machine and he jumped a good clear so I decided to stick to the same plan with The Secret Weapon. Blenheim is always an event I enjoy and it's a course I like riding round in a beautiful setting."

But King had no margin for error in the final show jumping phase, with just .1 of a mark lead at that stage.

His nearest rival Cook had one fence down - just two horses of the 56 left in at that stage could go clear - and when just one fence also fell for Chris he knew the title was his.

"It was a very slender lead and the pressure was on so I was feeling nervous," King said. "The horse had come out after cross country felling well and we warmed-up for show jumping with British team trainer Yogi Breisener, which helped us to do our best. My aim all year had been to do well at Blenheim - so the result couldn't have been better."

Pewsey-based Fiona Hobby also had cause to celebrate when she rode Smart Approach into seventh place. The pair pulled up from 23rd after dressage, coming home clear cross country with just 3.6 time penalties, and two show jumps down on the last day kept them out of a possible top four finish.

Little Cheverell-based Australian Clayton Fredericks was 10th on the eight-year-old mare Dunges Laurent Rose who looked full of future promise when coming home clear cross country.

New Zealand international Andrew Nicholson, who rides from a yard at Marlborough, was third at Blenheim on his up and coming ride Armada.

The Spanish bred eight-year-old was competing at only his third event at this level but was one of the select group to come home inside the time cross country and looks a superb prospect for the future.

Nicholson's success was enough to secure the Invesco Perpetual Premier League title, which boasts a £35,000 prize fund.

Both Nicholson and Devon based Lucy Wiegersma scored points in seven of the nine legs making them the most consistent - Nicholson claimed the title without actually winning any of the nine legs.