The Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles turned into a gold mine for local rider Georgina Maton recently, when she collected a haul of medals.

Georgina, who represented Great Britain in equestrian events, has learning disabilities and weakness on the right side of her body but her love of horses and riding has given her a sense of freedom.

After scooping three gold medals in the categories of equitation (horsemanship), dressage and working trail, the determined 25 year old, who works at Oaklands College’s equestrian department as a supported member of staff, said: “I’m looking forward to seeing what my next challenge will be.”

She added: “I didn’t get on very well at school but horses don’t judge you, and they have given me the confidence to just get on with things.”

The 2015 Special Olympics World Games has been described as the largest sports and humanitarian event this year, after it drew 6,500 athletes and 2,000 coaches representing 165 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and an anticipated 500,000 spectators.

Sarah Moreland, head of land-based industries at Oaklands, said: “We are all immensely proud of Georgina and what she has achieved.

“She works really hard to be the best she can be, and it’s really paid off for her.”

Georgina, a Special Olympics ambassador, will spend some time visiting schools to share her experiences with pupils, while she looks out for other competitions to further test her equestrian abilities.