BEAMINSTER-based horse owner and Olympic coach Jabeena Maslin has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her service to the modern Pentathlon.

Ms Maslin is the coach of the Olympic pentathlon equestrian team and was included in the honours amongst other Dorset athletes including sailors Hannah Mills and Dylan Fletcher-Scott.

At the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo Ms Maslin helped Team GB win an unprecedented double gold at the games in the modern pentathlon.

Ms Maslin was delighted to have been made MBE as she ‘could not believe’ the news once she found out she was included on the prestigious list for 2022.

She said: “It’s fantastic, absolutely great news. I don’t know who put me forward.

“It was a surprise to find out I’d been included, I did get given a hint I could be included but I pushed that to the back of my mind.

“It’s all very exciting. I know it’s for my work with the pentathlon which I have been working on for many years now.”

Impressed by the news Ms Maslin added her thanks to those who she worked with and of course to those who nominated her.

The pentathlon is an Olympic sport that comprises five different events in fencing, freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, and combined event of pistol shooting and cross country running.

The horse owner currently has a professional yard in west Dorset which specialises in horse and rider training by providing the animals to learn on and to be used at pentathlon events all around Britain.

Four sailors from Dorset were also included in the list including Hannah Mills who was made OBE for her services to her sport and environmental campaigning.

Along with Olympic medal winners Eilidh McIntyre, Dylan Fletcher-Scott and Stuart Bithell who all became MBEs.

Ms McIntyre said: “When you get a gold medal you hope to receive an honour but when I received the news I was really shocked.

“I was with my mum at the time and to hear that over the phone just completely shocked me, it was a dream of mine.

“The amount of Dorset sailors on the list goes to show how incredible our team is and to be so consistent as well. I hope it can inspire more people in the area to enjoy the oceans as they should.”