EQUESTRIAN ace Hayley Watson-Greaves has the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on her mind after an incredible debut international victory last month.
The British dressage star from Wotton took her first big global title in the CD13* Barcelona Dressage Tour in a personal best score.
Watson-Greaves beamed: “It was the first international competition I have competed in and it has exceeded my expectations.”
Watson-Greaves and her 11-year-old horse WG Rubins Nite rode to a second placing in their first event of the Tour after posting a score of 68.586 per cent, to sit just two per cent behind Spain’s Lauro Aguilo Miquel.
The tables were turned in their second Grand Prix Freestyle competition as the talented duo produced a lovely test, with high artistic marks awarded across the board from the seven judges, to see them take the debut title with a mark of 73.446 per cent in a closely-fought class.
The Wotton rider, who is on the UK Sport National Lottery-funded World Class Development Programme, recognised her success was a team effort with her mount plus the help of trainer Carl Hester.
She said: “I have had him (WG Rubins Nite) since he was two years old and brought him up through the levels.
“This was my first competition out in Europe and he was amazing. He gave me the best ride through the tests and we scored personal bests.”
The massive performance in Spain has given her the encouragement to go for the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. Britain was enormously successful through dressage queen Charlotte Dujardin at the 2012 London Games.
Watson-Greaves said: “He (her mount) has now turned out to be a competitor for the Olympics which would be fantastic for us. He gave me a fantastic feeling.” But the Wotton ace won’t rest on her laurels despite getting a personal best. “I have been working really hard to get to international level.
“There is room for improvement which makes it even more exciting. So I can focus on things to work on and produce even better scores.”
With Hester and two other riders – Fiona Bigwood and Michael Eilberg – all winning titles, the British were flying high in the Spanish sun. Watson-Greaves added: “The whole British camp gave us a huge support and we were all helping each other out.”