A young entrepreneur from Kent has won a competition to showcase her rapidly growing business at this year’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

Nina Paloma, a talented ceramicist and illustrator from Deal, came out on top in a competition for a young business to utilise an exhibition space in the Burghley Lifestyle Pavilion.

Paloma completed a Masters in Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art in 2020 and has since worked on both ceramics and illustration projects.

Swindon Advertiser: Paloma is a former Pony Club member and eventerPaloma is a former Pony Club member and eventer (Image: DBHT/Peter Nixon)

On winning the competition, Paloma said: “I haven’t stopped smiling since I received the news. It is such a privilege to have won and I am so excited to be sharing my work at Burghley.”

She plans to bring to Burghley a range of her ceramic ware — intended for decorative or practical use — inspired by her love of nature, bird and coastal life. 

Paloma is also a former Pony Club member and eventer who still owns a horse called Tigger — and she pledges 2% of all sales to her chosen charity, the RSPB.

Defender Burghley Horse Trials President and competition judge, Miranda Rock, said: “Nina wrote an exemplary entry that not only showcased her work but explained her efforts to be sustainable and flexible in fitting her work to her market.

“We very much enjoyed her design ideas for her tradestand at Burghley and look forward to seeing these realised when she joins us in September.”

Swindon Advertiser: Paloma specialises in both ceramics and illustration projectsPaloma specialises in both ceramics and illustration projects (Image: DBHT/Peter Nixon)

Paloma was chosen from around 40 entries into Defender Burghley Horse Trials’ first ever competition of this kind.

The Lincolnshire event, which runs from 5-8 September 2024, is one of the most prestigious sporting and social occasions of the British season.

Besides equestrian competition from the highest levels in the sport of eventing to the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Finals, and masterclasses and crowd favourites such as the Shetland pony Grand National, the event features superb shopping with around 600 carefully-selected outlets, entertainment and hospitality opportunities.

Visit Nina at www.ninapaloma.co.uk and to find out how to visit Defender Burghley visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk.