In their first prix St George event together, Julie Brougham and her horse Vom Feinsten posted a record score at the World Dressage Challenge in Taupo on Tuesday.

Brougham and Vom Feinsten, who is only in his second year of competing, scored 70.724 per cent which is thought to be the highest score in the prix St George division.

This is the first time that someone has scored over 70 at the event so it was a big achievement for Vom Feinsten, who was riding in only his fourth competitive event.

"[I'm] Very chuffed, that's a little bit because of the quality of the horse," Brougham said.

"I went to Taupo with the goal being to get into the top four, so I did a bit better than my goal of the top four because he was such an inexperienced horse."

Vom Feinsten has had a rapid rise since Brougham brought him over from Germany two years ago and started training him.

It took 15 months from the time she got the horse back to New Zealand till she had enough control over him and then started competing at the lowest level.

Brougham has competed at the event previously on other horses, but was impressed with the way Vom Feinsten had gone in his first prix St George.

"He was great," she said. "He basically did a clear round, he didn't make any mistakes. He was very nervous.

"He's what we call a hot horse, a very energetic horse. He was hot early on, but settled into his work."

The eight-year-old gelding had a successful season last year at level four (medium) then skipped level five (advanced), to the prix St George this year.

Brougham said her sights were set on the Olympics one day, but next year's London Games were too close for an inexperienced horse so they were targeting the world equestrian games in France in 2014.

She finished second in qualifying which was her aim because she didn't want to be in the New Zealand team. Vom Feinsten won the final, but being selected at this stage would "seem too much for a baby", she said.

Brougham said the judges had been impressed with the quality of Vom Feinsten and their plan was to go to the Sydney CDI event next year.

Dressage New Zealand sport manager Wendy Hamerton thought Brougham's score was one of the highest she had seen in prix St George.

"Without looking over 31 years of records I suspect that is probably the highest score," Hamerton said.

The judges at the event were international so the score would be competitive at any level in the world.

The New Zealanders won all seven sections at the event and Hamerton said it didn't come much better than that 

"From a sport perspective we were delighted with the quality and the depth the New Zealand riders showed."

Palmerston North's Susan Tomlin on Giusto MH was third in the advanced section, followed by Vaughn Cooper from Hunterville, who was fourth on Kiteroa Leila.