A WEST Devon student studying rural enterprise and land management at Harper Adams University has been presented with a special award for coming top of her year.

Sally Abel, from Peter Tavy, and Gillian Wilsher from Yorkshire, have been named joint winners of the Buccleuch REALM Cup after getting the top mark in the second year of their BSc (Hons) degree at the university.

The women, who are both final year students and have just returned to Harper Adams after spending a year in industry, were presented with their award at the Rural Enterprise and land management/rural property management 2013 placement poster fair.

The event saw around 70 final year students displaying posters they had designed about their placement year in industry.

Companies featured included Apley Estate near Bridgnorth, Barbers Rural, Carter Jonas, Savills, Buccleuch Estates Ltd, Brown and Co, Bidwells, Fisher German and many more.

Sally has just returned from her placement year with Christopher Lyons Rural Asset Management in Ledbury, Herefordshire.

The 21-year-old former Tavistock College student said: 'I'm very pleased to have won the award. It's good to know the hard work in my second year paid off.'

REALM course leader, Simon Keeble, who presented the students with their award, said: 'The cup, which is sponsored by Buccleuch, is awarded for the top student from the second year of REALM.

'The girls have done incredibly well to get this award and it's the first time we have had two students with exactly the same mark.'