News
The Duchess presents the Equestrian Olympic Athlete of the Year award
12th February 2008
The Duchess of Cornwall today presented an award to one of Britain’s best hopes for equestrian success at the Beijing Olympics this year.
Her Royal Highness, who is Patron of the British Equestrian Federation, presented Mary King with the Equestrian Olympic Athlete of 2007 award during a reception for owners of candidate horses for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympics Games.
Mrs King, whose career has spanned almost 20 years and four Olympic Games, said she was "delighted and honoured” to receive the British Olympic Association honour from Her Royal Highness, who is also a keen horsewoman.
The honour follows her individual silver medal on Call Again Cavalier at last year's European Championship at Pratoni del Vivaro, where the British team won their seventh consecutive gold.
Mrs King said preparations for the games were running smoothly.
"Call Again Cavalier is the main hope, but we also have Imperial Cavalier, who is five years younger but a fantastic horse. But Call Again Cavalier, given his experience, would be the one I would choose to ride."
She said: "I'm very hopeful of getting there and very lucky to have the choice of two horses."
She also spoke of her hopes for team success. Team GBR is regarded as being one of the best in the world at both eventing and para-equestrian dressage, with the two sports winning 10 medals between them at the last Olympic games.
"We so deserve to win. It's eluded us as a nation. We haven't won team gold for I don't know how long and yet we have at the seven European championships.
"For some reason the Olympics haven't been quite so lucky. I'm just hoping that this year will come right and luck will be on our side."
The Duchess later viewed a display of saddles at the event held at the London base of the Worshipful Company of Saddlers.
One, covered in ornate red and gold cloth was the King's Champion's saddle, used only at the Coronation of each monarch.
The Duchess said to Mrs King: "I can't imagine you taking that to Beijing."
As one of the oldest City of London livery companies, the Saddlers Company remains a working company and retains a close involvement with the British saddlery trade and equestrianism.
The Duchess joined the reception to meet leading owners, riders and British team staff including vets and performance managers.
The Olympic Games include three equestrian disciplines: dressage, eventing and show-jumping, and the Paralympics Games include para-equestrian dressage.
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