WENDY Embleton has driven her way to a British title.

She claimed the British Carriagedriving Open Pairs Championships title at Cirencester Park with her horses Unique and Monty, and husband Brian as her backstepper.

And what makes this even more of an achievement is it was Embleton’s first season driving in pairs and 18 months after she broke both her legs after a fall from a horse.

The 50-year-old from Tolleshunt Major, who has been driving in the single category for six years, said: “It was quite an achievement in my first year driving in pairs.

“All of the other drivers were saying ‘who is this?’ “Especially after last year when I broke both my legs on Pancake Day.

“I fell off a horse, at a walk, and landed on the edge of a kerb.

“It was four months before I started hobbling around on my crutches and I am all plated and pinned now.

“Also my horse died of colic as well but we brought a pair at Christmas.”

Embleton qualified for the final after competing in a preliminary round at the Ashfield Carriage Driving and Polo Club, in Dunmow, back in May.

There are ten qualifying rounds with the top two going through to the three-day final.

Embleton said: “The first day was dressage to see obediance.

“This is followed by a three section marathon on the next day. It is split into a 9km section, a walk section and then a 9.7km section with obstacles, including water and gates to test stamina and agility at speed .

“The third day is when you drive through cones with balls on top to test the accuracy of the driver.

“I won the dressage and the marathon, then came fifth in the cones.

“And once the penalties had been taken into consideration I had taken the overall win.”

Embleton then backed up the British title with victory at the East Anglian Carriage Driving Group Club Championships at Ashfields Carriage and Polo Centre, Great Dunmow last weekend.