Hannah Biggs to carry Beijing Olympic Torch on horseback in Champions Parade

By Claire Allmett

Friday 08 June 2012

Hannah Biggs to carry Beijing Olympic Torch on horseback in Champions Parade

International dressage rider Hannah Biggs has been invited to join several Olympians in a past and future champions’ parade to accompany the Olympic torch on its journey through Dorset.

As the London 2012 torch reaches Shaftesbury on Thursday 12 July, it will be carried through the town accompanied by Hannah and two past Olympians, including Anthony Nunn, a hockey player in the 1952 Games and an English runner who carried the torch from Gillingham to Shaftesbury for the 1978 Games. Hannah, who will be part of this convoy riding The Southern Cross Stud’s Ice Age, has been asked to carry the Beijing torch courtesy of Coca Cola.

As a rider on the World class performance programme, Hannah, who is trained by Olympian and Team GB European Gold medal winner Emile Faurie, has been identified as a rider with future potential to deliver success for Team GB.

Each champion will be carrying an Olympic torch as part of the Olympic celebrations, which will follow a route through the town to finish at the Town Hall where they will be met by the Mayor and local MP’s.

Hannah explained: “This really is a great honour. After all this time the Olympics are finally here and everyone is getting into the Olympic spirit. It’s very exciting to be carrying an Olympic torch, even more so on horseback.

“All I have to do is deliver it in one piece to the Mayor and stay on! With such phenomenal success over the past 18 months the British dressage Team have certainly put dressage on the map. All the team GB riders have been a total inspiration so fingers crossed they will bring the gold home.”

For further information and details of the route please visit the Shaftesbury website.