14th August 2012

SIDMOUTH: Parade for Olympic silver medalist Mary King

Sidmouth Town Council is organising a celebration and parade to honour Olympic three-day eventer Mary King.

Sidmouth equestrian, Mary took the honour of a silver medal alongside HRH Zara Philips winning a team silver in the Olympic event.

The parade will see Mary riding her horse Imperial Cavalier through the streets of Sidmouth. Mary King has represented Great Britain at six Olympic games winning two silvers, her previous in Athens, and a bronze medal in Beijing.

The celebrations in Sidmouth will commence at 6:30pm this Friday (August 17th.)

Mary will leave Radway at 6:30pm and ride Imperial Cavalier, followed closely by her family, friends and colleagues in an open top bus, through the town.

The route will take her down the High Street, Fore Street, across the Esplanade and up Station Road to the Three Cornered Plot then into Kennaway House.

On the steps of Kennaway House the chairman and members of the town council along with what is hoped to be a large crowd of wellwishers, will welcome her and her family and congratulate her. Everyone is invited to line the route and to attend at Kennaway House to cheer on a very special lady.

Chairman of the town council, Councillor Stuart Hughes, said: “It’s a great opportunity for everyone to celebrate Mary’s wonderful achievement after this, her sixth Olympic games. We want as many people as possible to turn out, wave flags and cheer Mary and Imperial Cavalier along.”

BBC’s Clare Balding commented on her Olympic riding skills: “Mary King was fantastic. Let's put into context her story.

“She's 51, at her sixth Olympics, but this is a woman who broke her neck in 2001 and is here now riding at the Olympics and has won a silver medal.”

PICTURE: There is to be a parade in honour of Sidmouth's Mary King who won a silver medal in the 2012 Olympics