Emily’s riding high after Sports Personality Award
East Sussex based Emily Llewellyn has been crowned the 2009 Sussex Young Sports Personality Award for the second year running.
The 20 year old event rider who is on the British Equestrian Federation’s World Class Development Programme picked up the award last month.
Organisers of the awards, the Sussex County Sports Partnership, received a record breaking number of nominations this year with the standard being extremely high. Emily's category had the most nominations with five athletes being short-listed and the final decision was down to the judges, unlike last year when it was determined by public vote.
A thrilled Emily said: "I can't believe it - to pick up the award last year was incredible but to win again this year is awesome! It was an amazing evening - thank you to the award organisers and to the University of Chichester who sponsored the award.”
Emily’s award comes on the back of a very successful competition year, including wins at the National University Championships, the national under 25 championships at Bramham, finishing 'best newcomer' and leading under 25 rider at Badminton, as well as winning individual bronze and team gold at the Young Rider European Championships.
The BEF’s World Class Development Programme aims to provide Britain's elite riders with the best preparation to represent Equestrian Team GBR at International level. Funded by UK Sport, the Programme incorporates the three Olympic sports of dressage, eventing, show jumping and the Paralympic sport of para-equestrian dressage
Selection to the World Class Programme is based on results combined with potential to contribute to team success at major championships. Performance is continuously assessed and riders are regularly reviewed. The Programme is divided into Development (Start and Potential), and Performance squads across each discipline. For more information see http://www.bef.co.uk/The_World_Class_Programme
The Programme has been funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, primarily from the National Lottery, via UK Sport since 1998.