Abigail Lyle enjoyed the "ride of her life" on her Olympic debut, despite failing to progress to the final in the dressage individual Grand Prix.
On board Giraldo, at the Palace of Versailles, Lyle scored 69.441 to finish sixth in her group.
Tuesday's first day of dressage Grand Prix, in which riders are asked to perform the sport's most difficult exercises like pirouettes, piaffes and flying changes in a roughly eight-minute ride, was marked by temperatures well over 30C.
Some of the discipline's heavyweights, including the top-ranked Germans and defending Olympic gold and silver winners Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Isabell Werth will make their first rides on Wednesday.
The first two athletes from each of the six groups and the six with the next best scores qualify for the individual final. The best ten teams qualify for a separate team final.
Lyle and 13-year-old Giraldo; affectionately known as 'Arty’, were almost foot perfect throughout their routine, and the result meant a sixth place finish in Group B.
It wasn’t enough for the Bangor rider to qualify for Sunday’s final, but nonetheless Lyle was over the moon with the performance.
"I literally had the best ride of my entire life. And they say that your best rides are never seen but I'm very lucky that my best ride was just in that unbelievable stadium with all those cameras. I can’t believe that," she told RTÉ Sport.
She was delighted with her piaffe, one of the most difficult moves to perform.
"Sometimes in a big atmosphere there’s a risk they can be a little nervous and when he’s nervous he kind of gets a little bit tight but he didn’t. He offered me some really good work.
"Other than that, my changes, anything in canter - I’m blown away by my horse because he just took me around that test like he’s done ten Olympics.
Lyle thoroughly enjoyed her Olympics debut.
"It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever done. It’s also the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I would do again tomorrow if I can.
"I’m blown away by all the people that have been so supportive. Whether they’ve been from my own team, from people on social media, from people I’ve passed walking up and down, from the other riders. It’s been a lovely atmosphere and so supportive.
"I just feel overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone around me, and Arty, of course."
