At the British Horse Society Annual General Meeting on 22 Jun 99 Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, President of the Society, presented the Society's Awards of Merit. Sue Payne of Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire was one of the recipients. The Society is indebted to hundreds of volunteers who give unstintingly of their time, energy and expertise to furthering the care of horses in the areas of welfare, training, education, safety, and access and rights of way. The Award of Merit is given for outstanding services to the British Horse Society.

Sue Payne became a Fellow of the British Horse Society in 1987, the highest equestrian qualification, an achievement only held by 53 people in the world. She was appointed a BHS examiner in 1994 and chairman of the Society's examinations sub-committee in 1991. She is a much appreciated Senior RDA instructor specialist, and her dedication to making horse riding accessible to all has given pleasure to those who would otherwise not have experienced the rewards of the sport. Sue has devoted a great deal of her time and expertise to the BHS, working to improve and update the examinations system to take account of new developments and also to achieve the current credibility and recognition of the system, both in the UK and overseas.