SHE might be an Olympic dressage rider, but Co Down’s Abi Lyle said she is “committed to my outlandish and outrageous eventing ambitions”, following a British Eventing debut and some hunter trialling in recent weeks.

Lyle made her long-awaited eventing debut in September and did better than she ever could have dreamed (her words) when finishing second in the GoBE80 at Little Gatcombe aboard Nice Try II (Obi). Of course, she led the dressage on a score of 24, but four time penalties on the cross-country dropped them to second.

Special recognition

The event came just after she had returned from Northern Ireland, where she was honoured with the special recognition award at the Spirit of Northern Ireland awards, presented by Sheena Peirse, CEO of Mediahuis, and Terry Robb, of Ulster Bank. Abi has become a leading voice in the campaign to prevent violence against women and young girls, following her abuse by murder-accused Jonathan Creswell.

Abi said: “I felt totally undeserving to be standing with the outstanding award winners at the awards. I met some incredible inspiring people, who have been through horrendous atrocities and have come out the other side, to do such good for their community. I was so honoured to stand with them.

"I will never stop speaking out on domestic violence when I get a chance. I am proud to be a survivor, and a damn glamorous one at that!”

Just last weekend, Abi continued her jumping ways when taking the five-year-old mare Pipsqueak to a hunter trials in Lyneham to build up confidence for the pair, with the view to entering some affiliated competitions next season.

Fear not, however, Abi said she will not be hanging up the tail coat just yet and plans to take her Paris Olympic mount Giraldo (aka Arty) to the CDI in Kronenberg, Belgium next month.