BRITISH Equestrian Vaulting (BEV) has selected Evesham’s Sarah Reid as one of the Team GBR vaulters who will compete at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA.

Reid, 19, is one of 11 vaulters — seven senior team members and four individual vaulters — who will attend the games, which will be held at The Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky from September 25 to October 10.

Vaulting is best described as a form of gymnastics on the back of a moving horse, which is worked on a circle under the control of a lunger.

Through choreographed movements, it incorporates beauty and brilliance, power and strength, elegance and precision, all in harmony with the horse.

Reid, a chemistry undergraduate at Warwick University, first started vaulting when she was eight years old and her first competitive vaulting experience was at the British Championships in 1998. She is the longest-serving member of the English squad and represented Team GBR at the 2006 World Equestrian Games, the World Championships in 2008 and, most recently, the European Championships in Malmo, Sweden, in August.

Last year, Reid received major benefits from being part of the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS), which is a Government-funded programme that represents a unique partnership between sport and higher and further education.

On receiving news of her selection, Reid said: “We have been working towards this selection for the past two years and I’m very excited.

“It will certainly be a fantastic experience and a great opportunity to compete against the best vaulting teams in the world. We have some hard work ahead of us.”

Lucy Bell, BEV’s team chief, added: “I am delighted to welcome Sarah to the British vaulting team for the World Games.

“The squad has been very strong throughout 2009, making a real impact on the international circuit.

“It is a particularly significant and exciting time in British vaulting following our first Championship gold medal for Joanne Eccles this year.

“We have selected early for 2010, partly to give as much time as we can for preparation for the vaulters and their horses, but also to allow as much time as possible to raise the funds.”

The Olympic and Paralympic teams are supported by lottery funding via UK Sport, but the non-Olympic sports do not receive funding of any kind.

Funding in excess of £60,000 is needed to support the vaulting squad alone to allow them to compete for their country in Kentucky next year.