Ilfracombe equestrian star Caitlin Burgess revelled in rubbing shoulders with three British sporting heroes after being singled out to attend a special Parliamentary Reception hosted by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson at the House of Lords. 

Burgess’ equine career is supported by a partnership between Entain – owner of Ladbrokes and Coral – and SportsAid, and the talented sportswoman was one of 15 athletes hand-picked to attend the celebratory event in Westminster. 

Grey-Thompson, an 11-time Paralympic champion, was joined by former Olympic champion Mohamed Sbihi and five-time Paralympic medallist Natasha Baker at the reception that celebrated the impact of SportsAid and Entain’s funding in transforming young careers. 

Burgess, 20, had the unique opportunity to absorb Grey-Thompson, Sbihi and Baker’s eminent insight and enjoy a day in the capital to savour at the iconic political venue. 

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And Burgess, who finished 13th at this year’s European Championship aboard her hose Chocotof, said: “Today has been really nice - it was great to see everyone and it was nice to meet Natasha who I found really inspiring in Rio and Tokyo.  

“It was great to hear from all of them and see how from their perspective they've also faced hardships and struggles in their sporting journeys. 

“I started dressage in 2012 after I was inspired by the London Olympics and Paralympics but I’ve been riding all my life. That Olympics was incredible and really life changing for me. 

“SportsAid funding helped me get to Europeans because with Brexit, the prices of getting the horses out to different countries has gone up a lot. They've been so helpful with all the online sessions we had through the lockdown too. 

“Europeans was a really cool experience. A top 15 with all those horses is more than I could have imagined – and they're all worth a lot of money!” 

Burgess, who has been riding since she was four years old, had the chance to mingle with the other SportsAid and Entain-supported athletes before listening to speeches from Grey-Thompson, Sbihi and Baker to cap a memorable two hours.   

And Grey-Thompson, who racked up a stunning 16 Paralympic medals between Seoul 1988 and Athens 2004, said: "Sport is so important to British society - not just medal success, but giving young people that chance to be the best that they can be.

"My career and so much of what I did was based on the support I had from SportsAid, and it's amazing to see that support going back to young athletes going forward."  

SportsAid alumni won a staggering 14 gold, 19 silver and 14 bronze medals for Team GB this summer while in the Paralympics, claimed 26 gold, 33 silver and 35 bronzes as the revolutionary impact of the funding was showcased on the biggest sporting stage. 

Over 400 athletes across Team GB and ParalympicsGB in Tokyo had previously benefited from SportsAid funding and Baker, who scooped silver at Tokyo 2020, said: “I can remember receiving my first grant from SportsAid and it made a massive difference.
“Not just in a monetary sense, but it opens up a lot of doors and enables you to do things that you wouldn't have been able to do without that money.”   

Rower Sbihi, who added bronze in the men’s eight to his coxless four glory in Rio, added: “Having the support and confidence in me through SportsAid helped me bridge that gap to the next level. 

“I was able to represent GB as a junior and 18 years later, here I am sat talking to the young athletes.” 

Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, is proud to be championing the next generation of British sporting heroes by providing talented young athletes with financial support and personal development opportunities in partnership with SportsAid. Visit entaingroup.com to find out more.