Anna Ross-Davies was named British Dressage’s (BD) Personality of the Year at the BD 10th Birthday Ball at the weekend.
Anna picked up the award via mobile phone link up live to Birmingham on Saturday, 7 June, as she was away competing at the CDI in Lipica, Slovenia.
Anna told H&H: “I’m absolutely thrilled. I’m chuffed to bits to have won and very grateful to all of those who voted.
“It was a bit of a shame not to have been there, and we had a frantic moment when we lost the mobile phone just before BD were due to call but it all worked out in the end. It’s excellent.”
The inaugural personality of the year award was voted for online by BD members.
Nominations started coming in several months ago and the end vote was between Anna, Jane Gregory and grassroots rider Gillian Green.
Claire Booth from British Dressage told H&H: “We had over 1,000 votes and it was really close — only five votes separated the top two.
“It was generally felt that Anna was a well deserved winner, she’s got to the top on her own merit — she started off by selling sandwiches to raise money to compete.
“Members also consider her as inspirational as she went from reserve to the top placed British rider at the European Championships.
“At British Dressage we have a good feeling about her and what she does for dressage.”
The evening celebrated BD’s deserving horses, riders and volunteers.
Other winners on the night were Laura Bechtolsheimer, who won the Rider of the Year award and Lee Pearson, who won the Para-rider of the Year.
Claire added: “The ball was a huge success and we now intend to make the event, and the awards, an annual thing.”
