HE is aged just 19 but is already tipped to be a star in the dressage world. Hampshire young rider Jezz Palmer is the first to admit he is trained to win when he unfalteringly powers down the centre line of packed arenas on his imposing horse Royaume Uni.

To the spectators he is calm, competitive and seemingly expressionless. But unusually for a teenage sportsman, beneath the mask of his riding hat his determination is fuelled by thoughts for his 47-year-old mum Vanessa – his role model.

Just four years ago, the fit mum-of-five who enjoyed leisurely horse rides and running, suffered a sudden stroke leaving her paralysed down one side.

But refusing to give up she taught herself to walk and talk again – even learning a different way to ride so she could get back into the saddle within months.

Now she takes part in disabled dressage competitions and says horses have saved her life.

Jezz, who last month won a national title at the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships in Gloucestershire with his show-stopping dressage to music routine, said: “Mum is my inspiration and role model, she’s amazing. It’s her drive to keep going and to never give up that proves anything is achievable if you put your mind to it.”

Jezz insists without his mum, who has supported him since he first sat on a horse as a toddler, his dreams of riding professionally would not be possible.

Jezz was talent-spotted by national riders Roland Tong and Ben St John James, also his role models, when he came to them for help with a problem horse.

He was just 14.

Now he works as an apprentice at their stables in Wickham where he has a gruelling training regime riding for up to five hours every day ahead of national competitions where he can always count on the support of his mum.

He recalled a story at the national prize-giving ceremony where his mum jumped for joy on hearing he stormed to victory with high marks in his choreographed dressage routine.

But moments later the spotlights came across the hooves of his temperamental horse Roy and he spooked rearing up in the air and span around. Jezz jumped off and landed on his feet, while the second place rider fell off crushing her ankle when her horse tumbled onto her.

He said: “Mum’s always there without fail.

“I don’t know what we’d do without speaking every day, we both push each other on and we’re always there for each other if one of us starts to doubt ourselves.

“We talk about our next path and what we will do next, we’ll be saying I’ll go to this show and try to do this and you try for that.”

However, it’s a new life for Vanessa because before she suffered a stroke she said she would never dream of taking part in competitions.

But despite claiming her ability to work and drive a car the stroke has made her a more confident person.

She said: “It was hard to start with. I was determined to get back in the saddle but I didn’t realise just how messed up my balance had become. I had a bad fall into a ditch and the horse tumbled on top of me damaging my shoulder which meant I had to have two operations but I got straight back on. It just makes you more determined though to find a different way of riding. I’ve even jumped a horse for the first time!

“I’ve become far braver since the stroke. It makes you open your eyes to the world a bit more.”

It was in 2009 that Vanessa’s world turned upside down when the health worker woke up in the night to discover she was unable to feel her limbs.

Medics said it was due to an undiagnosed hole in the heart.

“I was as fit as a fiddle and suddenly I couldn’t talk or walk. I lost the use of my arm. I had to learn the basics again. It knocked me for six but I was determined not to give in.”

Jezz explained how it is horses, his first love, which have also given his mum the strength to get better.

Vanessa agreed: “They give you that sense of freedom. You feel like you lose so much when you have a stroke, you’re not part of society anymore. Then someone says to you ‘you’re really quite good at this’, it’s an achievement again.”

Vanessa, who still suffers memory loss, tiredness and seizures, added: “I don’t think I’d be here today if it wasn’t for my family and horses, they make me complete.”

The mother and son both now share the same dream to compete for their country in the Olympics and Paralympics.

Vanessa giggled: “We would love to get there and I know Jezz will. He’s more likely to get there than me anyway, but you’ve got to have big dreams.

She added: “I’m so proud of him. Where a lot of teenagers are out hitting the town Jezz puts every hour in with the horses. He’s always had a thing with horses, he deserves his title and the next titles.”