AN international horse rider from Brentwood has been personally congratulated by the Queen for her achievements – after the monarch read about them in the Gazette.
Gaby Lucas, 17, spoke about the letter she received from Elizabeth II this week, after learning that she has qualified for the Junior European Dressage Team for the second year running.
The royal dispatch arrived after the former Anglo European School pupil's mum, Anji Lucas, wrote to Buckingham Palace and attached a previous Gazette story on her daughter's dressage achievements.
In the letter, the Queen, herself a keen horse rider, sent her congratulations, telling Miss Lucas she was proud of her achievements and that she was pleased to receive a copy of the article.
Miss Lucas, who lives with her parents in Mores Lane, Pilgrims Hatch, told the Gazette she was thrilled to receive a reply from the head of state.
She added: "The Queen told me to keep up the good work and it made me realise what I had achieved, as not many people get a response from her."
Miss Lucas said she was delighted to be competing in the European team again.
Not many riders go straight from competing on ponies to performing at such a high level.
She said: "It's a big step up so I was really pleased – there are only one or two other people that have done it before."
Miss Lucas said she has been riding since the age of two and was introduced to the sport by her Mum.
She added: "It's what I've always wanted to do – I don't see myself sat in an office."
Miss Lucas is a member of the World Class Development Programme, a scheme which aims for excellence in equestrianism.
She is also studying towards a Level Three Diploma in Horse Care at Writtle College and plans to go on to study Sports Performance at university.
Her mount, the grandly-named Laurentius II, is an 18.2hh gentle giant, informally known as Lause.
The bay gelding is a 14-year-old Danish Warmblood that she has owned for two years.
Her second horse, Zanté, is a seven-year-old bay gelding whom she does less competitions with at the moment but she has big plans for his future.
"I do more with Lause as he is getting me further at the moment in European and international shows," she said.
She said she rides both of her horses four to five times a week and trains with international dressage riders Mette Assouline and Erik Theilgaard on the World Class Development Programme.
She has had a successful year so far, winning the regionals at Patchetts Equestrian Centre in Hertfordshire in February – the youngest rider to have done so.
The future looks bright for the teenager who hopes to go into the Young Riders squad next year – and qualify for the Olympics in Rio in 2016.
"I am hoping Zanté to be my European Young Rider horse at Rio as he is more up-and-coming," she added.
As for the prospect of perhaps competing at the Olympics, she said: "I am really excited – even though it's three years away it's going to go really quickly."
Miss Lucas is now looking forward to taking part in Pre-European Camp to work with world-famous dressage rider Carl Hester.
