The British Dressage office staff have finished sifting through all your nominations for the 2008 BD Personality of the Year and the three finalists are Anna Ross-Davies, Jane Gregory and Gillian Green.
Here are some reasons why you could feel they are worthy recipients of our inaugural award:
Jane Gregory
Jane Gregory (née Bredin) started out as a groom, working her way up to become headgirl for former BD chairman David Hunt. She represented Britain with Cupido at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Jane has made a comeback this year with Lucky Star. Due to their unexpectedly good international results, they are now possible candidates for the Olympics. She teaches and trains from her Wiltshire base.
“ She has embraced her new training regime with Ulla Salzgeber, which has improved Lucky Star beyond recognition. I have never met anyone so hard-working or who pays such attention to detail. She has completely inspired me with her recent results and shows just what is possible if you are dedicated.” Andrea Sexton
Gillian Green
Gillian, a full-time research assistant at the Macaulay Institute in Aberdeen, has ridden since childhood. She was about to “give dressage a go” and become a British Dressage member when she had a nasty fall while hacking a horse belonging to her sister, who was ill at the time. Gillian was thrown into a dyke, breaking her collarbone in three places, fracturing eight ribs and breaking her shoulder.
Since affiliating in 2007, Gillian has competed at nine competitions in addition to the Petplan Equine Area Festivals. She won all except one, in which she finished second. Her sister has trained her apart from one lesson from Hannah Moody.
“ Gillian had a horrendous fall from my horse in November 2006 and still has not fully recovered. She decided to join BD nevertheless and, together with her 15-year-old part-Clydesdale Glenmarcus, begged lifts to competitions and even rode along dual carriageways just to compete. She became Scottish Prelim Area Festival Champion in her first season. She went to the Petplan Equine Festival Final in Gloucestershire having bought a lorry from her savings. Gillian finished third in the novice and seventh in the prelim and now has to sell the lorry, as she cannot afford to keep it. I think she deserves this award for pure determination and true joy of just riding her horse.” Emily Green
Anna Ross-Davies
The Talland School of Equitation in Gloucestershire first nurtured Anna’s talent for dressage. Anna then went back to work at her first riding school, where she trained an 18-year-old Cleveland Bay riding school horse up to grand prix level. She is now a freelance trainer and manager of Patchetts Equestrian Centre in Hertfordshire, whose owner Donald McTaggart owns her top ride, Liebling II. Last year, she was picked as a reserve for the European Championships and ended up being the only Brit to go through to the freestyle, finishing 10th with nearly 72%.
“ Anna has worked so hard to get to the top – even making sandwiches to help pay to keep her horses. She was an inspiration at last year’s European Championships, starting out as a reserve and then going on to be top-placed Brit, helping Team GB to gain Olympic qualification.
“ She is an inspirational trainer who makes lessons great fun. Even while she is busy with her own competitions abroad, she always has time to find out how her pupils have been doing back home and to support and encourage them.” Claire Gallimore
Now it is up to you to choose the 2008 BD Personality of the Year. Click here to vote.
The winner will receive their award at our 10th Birthday Ball on 7 June, 2008, at the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham.
Related Links
Jane Bredin's Cupido Passed Away
Hester Withdraws from British E.C. Team, Ross-Davies Replaces