Laura Collett, British event rider

Having begun her riding career in showing, Laura Collett turned to eventing with Noble Springbok and the pair won individual bronze and team gold at the pony European Championships in 2005.

Her success continued through her junior career and she won three gold medals, one team and two individual, at the junior Europeans in 2006 and 2007.

As a young rider, Laura picked up another three gold medals at the young rider Europeans, including individual gold in 2009 with Rayef. In total, she has accumulated nine under-21 medals.

Burghley 2010 was Laura’s first four-star and she jumped clear across country with Ginger May Killinghurst. This set her sights on Badminton 2011. The spotlight was on Laura and Rayef as the young pair finished an incredible eighth.

This put her at the forefront of the selectors’ minds for the senior European Championships and this summer Laura will become the youngest rider to grace the British senior eventing squad since 1989, aged just 21.

Laura is based at The Membury Estate in Wiltshire with the Walker family, the current owners of Noble Springbok, and lives with her mother, Tracey, in nearby Lambourn.