A blind horse rider is turning heads in the dressage ring.

Nicola Naylor, who trains at the Fiddlers Green Stud in Headcorn, is enjoying huge success in her sport, competing against able bodied athletes and on the para circuit.

That comes despite her only taking up the challenge four years ago.

She said: “I was born with a congenital condition, which meant I was partially sighted.

“I used to do show jumping until I was 18 but my sight made me give it up. It had deteriorated completely by the time I was 22.

“My daughter, who is now 15, started riding when she was eight.

“She took up an interest in dressage and her trainer said ‘why don’t you give it a go?’ It took a little while for me to get involved but when I did, I knew this is what I wanted to do.”

Nicola initially trained with Alex Wyatt and finished in the top five at lower level regional and national competitions in 2011.

She then joined Fiddlers Green, off the Lenham Road, to work with Daniel Watson.

Nicola has competed internationally at para three-star level and also took part at this year’s NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships.

She finished eighth in the medium restricted music free style category with a score of 69.83%.