Sidmouth’s sporting hero Mary King was presented with an MBE by the Princess Royal

Sidmouth’s Olympic hero Mary King ‘had a nice horsey chat’ with the Princess Royal on Tuesday when she presented the three-day event rider with an MBE.

Married mother-of-two Mary, 51, who lives at Salcombe Regis, has represented Great Britain at six Olympic Games since 1992. She said it was a ‘huge honour’ to receive the award.

Mary, who won a team silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics with the Great Britain eventing team, knows the Princess Royal through the equestrian world and through competing with Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Phillips.

Speaking about her MBE, Mary said: “It is lovely, it is an absolute honour, it is something I have always hoped I would get one day. It was one of my ambitions.

“I know Princess Anne very well, obviously through the equestrian world where she is so prominent and in competing with Zara at Greenwich in the London Olympics. We had a nice horsey chat.”

Mary, who was one of the oldest members of Team GB, said the London Games had been ‘the best’. She is now looking ahead to the 2016 Olympics.

“I hope to try and get to Rio, that is my aim, we shall see what happens,” Mary said.