KITTY King is more determined than ever to safeguard her place at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after a ‘perfect’ 2015 campaign.

The 33-year-old, who is based in Lower Stanton St Quintin, rode to success at Tattersalls CCI3* and was third at Blenheim CCI3* with Ceylor LAN last year.

King also picked up a team silver medal at the FEI European Eventing Championships on Persimmon, who is nominated for the Horse and Hound magazine’s equine personality of the year, to go alongside their second-place finish at Bramham CCI3*.

Her success was also recognised away from the arena as she picked up numerous awards, including the British Eventing award for the highest placed British rider at the European Championships as well as the Event Riders Association prize for the most influential rider of the year, to cap off a year she could only have dreamt of.

“It has been a super year and everything that you plan and dream of before the season starts,” she said.

“Yes there has been the odd little blip and not everything has been perfect but on the whole it has been a pretty perfect competition season, which doesn’t happen very often.

“I got some lovely horses that were just coming into form so this time last year I was thinking that 2015 could be a very exciting and successful season, but with horses you never know what is going to come around the corner.

“You have these hopes and expectations but you don’t want to get too excited in case it doesn’t quite happen.”

It all started at Tattersall back in May for King, where she claimed first place with a score of 45.90 on Ceylor LAN, an event that almost didn’t happen for the Wiltshire rider and the eight-year-old horse.

“When I said that was my plan for his spring campaign the owners weren’t overly happy and thought it was a step too far, too quickly,” King explained.

“So it did take a bit of persuasion and he went even better than I had hoped for. He just grew and improved and loved the occasion.”

In September, King was tasked with being the pathfinder for the Great Britain team at the European Championships at Blair Castle in Scotland.

She once again excelled on Persimmon to finish fourth and help secure a silver medal for the hosts – a far cry from her first experience 10 years prior.

“It was an absolutely amazing experience,” said King.

“When they asked me to be pathfinder that did worry me somewhat, but I actually really enjoyed the position and the horse just did his best in each phase.

“Had we not been asked to take the long route then I’m pretty sure he would have ended up with individual bronze, if not silver.”

King followed that up with a third-place finish at Blenheim Palace a week later on Ceylor LAN and now is determined to come out in the spring stronger than ever and has even taken up pilates to ensure that no stone is left unturned.

“Rio is my ultimate childhood dream and this year it is becoming a little bit more realistic,” added a hopeful King.

“It has made me more determined and focused than ever before because it is something I don’t want to miss out on through lack of work or preparation.

“If it then doesn’t happen, it would be disappointed but I wouldn’t be kicking myself forever.”