KENT VET SHORTLISTED FOR TOP UK RIDING MAGAZINE AWARD
6 years ago 
1304 views
A top equine vet from Kent has been shortlisted for the prestigious “Amateur Rider of the Year” award by leading magazine Horse & Hound.
Katie Preston, 31, from Cranbrook, is one of four riders competing for the top prize, with the candidate gaining the most votes being presented with the trophy at the glitzy Horse & Hound Awards Dinner at Cheltenham Racecourse next month.
It has been a remarkable year for Katie, who combines competing at top events across the UK and Europe with her work as a vet at Milbourn Equine, which has practices in Ashford, Hawkhurst, Canterbury and Rye.
In the summer, she fulfilled a lifetime’s ambition by competing with her horse Templar Justice – TJ for short – at the world famous Burghley Horse trials in Lincolnshire.
Katie, who’s been riding horses since junior school and had her first pony at the age of 10, said: “I’ve had TJ since he was two years old and he’s now 11.
“Over the years, we’ve forged such a good partnership and risen up through the levels together.
“This year has been incredible. The highlight has to be the Burghley Horse Trials, which was amazing. I was so excited to be there and it went so well.
“We went clear in the cross country and achieved personal bests in all three disciplines – the cross country, show-jumping and dressage – so I was absolutely delighted.
“Now being nominated for Horse & Hound’s ‘Amateur Rider of the Year’ award is another huge thrill.”
Voting on the Horse & Hound website closes this Thursday, October 18th and a triumph for Katie will cap a terrific year, not that she is in the mood to settle back in the saddle and take an easy ride from now on.
She’s setting her sights even higher next year – competing at the Badminton Horse Trials in Gloucestershire.
Katie said: “The aim for 2019 has got to be to compete at the Badminton. That’s right up there on my bucket list. To have competed at both Burghley and Badminton would be a dream come true.”
You can vote for Katie Preston by visiting: www.horseandhound.co.uk/archives/vote-pikeur-amateur-rider-year-667388.
For more information on Milbourn Equine, which is part of the Linnaeus Group, visit: www.milbournequine.co.uk.
More from Linnaeus Group
- West Midlands communication agency celebrates national award for veterinary marketing campaign
- Senior receptionist celebrates 10 years at Ashby vet practice
- Best 'paws' forward for worthy cat cause
- Dog cheats death thanks to surgery skills of Cheshire vets
- Elderly dog given new lease of life following complex spinal surgery
19 hours ago