Nicola Tustain is flanked by Sir Bobby Charlton and Sean Fitzpatrick

Tustain is one of six athletes nominated for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability title.

Her rivals for the award include South African swimmer Natalie du Toit and Canadian sprinter Earle Connor

The 26-year-old Welsh rider will learn whether she has won the award at a ceremony at Estoril in Portugal in May.

Last year's winner was Australian skier Michael Milton, who won four gold medals at the 2002 Winter Paralympics at Salt Lake City.

He created history by becoming the first competitor in his amputee class to make a clean sweep of all eligible events with victories in the downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom.

Tustain, who lives in Denbighshire, north Wales, was a member of the British equestrian team at the Sydney Paralympics where she won two golds.

Laureus Disability Award nominees Earle Connor (Canada) Natalie du Toit (SA) Vitalis Lanshima (Nigeria) Ronnie Persson (Norway) Michael Teuber (Germany) Nicola Tustain (GB)

She also won two individual golds and a team gold at the World Dressage Championships in Belgium last year.

She is currently bidding for a place on the GB equestrian team for the Athens Paralympics in September.

The seven-strong squad will be selected after the Moorselle International in Belgium in May.