‘The Olympics is the goal’: rising star sole equestrian shortlisted for illustrious one-to-watch award

A rising dressage star has been shortlisted for an “illustrious” one-to-watch award that recognises Britain’s “brightest young sporting prospects” – and counts Olympic and Paralympic athletes among its former winners.

Lily Laughton, 20, from Wiltshire, has been named in the shortlist for SportAid’s annual award. The shortlist is selected from around 1,000 athletes and Lily is joined by nine individuals from sports including cycling, athletics, boxing, and powerchair football.

Each year athletes are nominated by their sport’s governing body “on the strength of their talent and potential” and former winners include Tom Daley, Hollie Arnold, Jodie Williams, and Courtney Tulloch.

The shortlisted athletes will receive visits from SportAid in their training environments to congratulate them on their “outstanding achievements”, with the overall winner being announced in December.

“At just 20, Lily is a rising star in dressage, part of the British Dressage (BD) U21 international performance pathway squad, while she has just come back from a year training and working at a yard in the Netherlands,” said a BD spokesperson.

Lily was part of the bronze medal-winning young riders team with Skovborgs Romadinov at the Europeans last summer.

“She is now turning her attention to building a career back in the UK. Her new business involves buying and selling horses, as well as looking after other people’s horses and teaching,” said the BD spokesperson.

“Lily also continues to build her relationship with her top horse Hulana T, with whom she earned a top placing of sixth at the CDI Aachen earlier this year, a fantastic result achieved in the crucible of dressage.”

Lily said the Olympics is “always the goal”.

“I was in Holland working for an Olympian. That has always been my dream. I was very lucky that I did the Europeans at 19, so it’s just stepping stones. As long as the horses are happy and I have a good attitude and training, I don’t see why one day, that might not happen,” she said.

Lily added that starting her business aged 20 has been “quite a big thing”.

“I’m very lucky to have my parents guiding me on what to do and what not to do. But I’m also very independent, I like to do lots of things myself and figure them out,” she said, adding that she trains with Luis Vilhena and Carl Hester.

“It’s going super well, I have a lot of really lovely clients with horses here, I’m loving it and learning along the way.”

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