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.