ANNE DUNHAM, who won gold medals at four consecutive Paralympic Games, has made the GB para-dressage squad for the upcoming FEI European Championships, at the age of 66.

Dunham helped Britain to team gold in Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008), where she also won an individual gold.

Her days in the national squad seemed numbered on the retirement of her best horse Teddy Edwards but she has forced her way back into contention with her latest horse Lucas Normark.

Anne, from Devizes, does some of her training at the Talland School of Equitation on the edge of Cirencester.

She has suffered from multiple sclerosis since the age of 27 and uses a wheelchair.

“I’m over the moon, it’s fantastic," said Dunham.

"I was on the very first European Para team in Portugal (2002) and have been on every European team since so I’m honoured, pleased and excited.

“Lucas was on the 2013 European team which should stand him in good stead for this year and he is an improved horse since then. He did well last time getting a team gold and two individual silver medals which shows a lot of promise for this championship.

“Being selected just gets more special. I’m 66 and still doing it, still improving and loving it.

"It’s exciting to be going out with everyone else, I never tire of it, it’s amazing. It is just as exciting to be selected this time as it was the first.

"The competition just keeps going up and up and better and better, there are so many good horses now both here and aboard.”

The FEI European Championships takes place in Deauville, France from September 17-20.

Dunham is joined in the GB squad by Natasha Baker (25), Sophie Christiansen (27), Lee Pearson (41) and Sophie Wells (25).

Selected non-travelling reserves are Heather Bennett and Nicky Greenhill.

Chef d’Equipe for the team, David Hunter said: “The five that have been selected truly deserve to be representing Great Britain at the forthcoming European Championships.

"It’s as strong a squad as ever and it’s great to see some new horses coming through to make their senior team debuts, while it’s exciting to have new combinations stepping up to the mark in our two reserves."

All riders compete as individuals at the championships; a team of four riders will be announced before the start of the competition to contest the team event (the results of the rider competing as an individual will not have any weighting on the overall team score).

Great Britain’s para-equestrian dressage team are the current and undefeated European, World and Paralympic champions.