All about Erin
As well as her competitive career, Erin is a British Dressage UKCC Level 2 coach, and enjoys teaching riders of all levels and abilities helping them to get the most out of themselves and their equine partners. A confident public speaker she also attends various school assemblies, functions and after dinner events, speaking about her journey and using her experiences to inspire others. If you are interested in hosting a clinic or would like to have Erin speak at your event please get in touch.
“Erin is fantastic, very knowledgeable, kind and empathetic - highly recommend. ”
“Thank you Erin Orford for delivering a passionate speech at our A Level Prizing Giving last night. You are truly inspirational.”
Erin Orford is a member of the Team GBR World Class Podium Squad for Para Dressage. She’s been competing both nationally and internationally for over 10 years and has also ridden up to Advanced Medium at Regional level. When Erin was born the bones in her lower legs and knees hadn't formed properly and she was missing the radius in both her arms, meaning she has shorter lower arms and only four fingers on each hand. Her parents were told that she would never be able to walk and that she would either be wheelchair bound or they could opt to have both of her legs amputated. At the age of one she had the operation and learned to walk in prosthetic legs.
Erin started riding aged two at Bank Farm RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association). She’d always attended a mainstream school, tried every sport she could but everything changed in 2004 when she went out to Athens to watch the Paralympics. “Watching the British team win Gold was incredible and I realised that this was what I wanted to do.”
Erin has been incredibly lucky in having some amazing horse power to ride and gain experience on over the years – one of which was Painted Affair (Scottie) who she had previously watched compete at the Athens Paralympics in 2004 and was owned by the Para Dressage Training Trust. In 2006, he took her to her first international where she finished 2nd on all three days and they were invited onto the World Class Potential Squad.
In 2007, Erin was writing at the FEI Para World Championships at Hartpury and met Nirvana (Mr B as he was known at home). Owned by John and Diana Barley of Nirvana Spa, at 17 years old Diana was looking for a quieter job for him and the partnership began. Then Diana very kindly gave Erin the ride on her two younger horses, Nirvana Pure Indulgence (Damingo) and Nirvana Moondancer (Monty). Both were very talented horses and had a lot of success nationally and internationally before John and Diana invested alongside Erin and her parents in her first project, a seven-year-old KWPN Warmblood called Nirvana Morroko (Roko).
2012 was a successful year for Roko and Erin, with wins at every international they competed at, they were shortlisted for the London 2012 Paralympic Games before becoming overall national champion in September. The following month they were selected to compete in the able-bodied Home International at Elementary where they won their individual class and their team also took home the title!
2014 was a particularly challenging year with numerous trips to A&E, one of which included a broken back and five broken ribs. Despite this, Erin came one step closer to her dream when she was selected as the non-travelling reserve for the World Equestrian Games, WEG. In 2015, along came Dior (Pimms) owned by Annabel Hunter-Blair. Pimms is a 17hh chestnut mare by DiMaggio and after a successful year, they were named as non-travelling reserve for the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
Erin’s dream of bringing home an individual medal was realised in 2017 at the FEI European Championships in Sweden where she finally made her Championship debut and returned home with Team Gold and Individual Bronze medals. In 2018 a successful season led to her selection for the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA, where Team GBR won Team Silver.
In March 2019 The Lady Joseph Trust acquired LJT Diamond Crusador (Loki) for Erin to campaign for future team selection. Successes so far include being selected Reserve for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 (held in 2021) and competing successfully at Medium level dressage.
Alongside her riding, Erin divides her time between her own training, working part-time in digital communications and coaching as she works towards future championships and beyond.
Gallery (please click on images to view full size)
