Paralympic Equestrians Go for Gold
Saturday, August 30, 2008
The Paralympic Games are now just around the corner and the British Equestrian Team will be riding for Gold in Hong Kong. You can keep up with all the action via the Equestrian Team GBR website, including daily insights from Team Leader, Will Connell and up to date news and results.
Great Britain has a great history at the Paralympic Games and Para-Equestrian Dressage is no exception, winning 7 medals in Athens and 13 medals in last year’s World Championships. Great Britain has never been beaten in the Paralympic equestrian events, which have been part of the programme since 1996 and Britain have won team Gold on every occasion.
In 2008 the Equestrian Team will again be hoping for success. The team includes six time Paralympic Gold medallist Lee Pearson, multi-medallist Anne Dunham who will be contesting her fourth Paralympics and Deb Criddle who has won treble Gold at consecutive European, World and Paralympic Championships.
20-year-old 2004 Paralympic Games Bronze medallist and World Championship Gold medallist, Sophie Christiansen joins the squad for her second Paralympics. Completing the team are three Paralympic debutants; 21-year-old Ricky Balshaw, 40-year-old Simon Laurens and 24-year-old Felicity Coulthard who all won medals at last year’s World Championships.
The Equestrian events get underway on the 7th September with the Team competition and continue through to the 11th September. Paralympic Dressage is divided into five classifications from 1a through to IV, with grade 1a being for the most disabled riders. The riders compete within these grades in both a set Championship test and a freestyle to music competition.
Will Connell’s diary became infamous among equestrian supporters during the Olympic Games as he provided all the news from inside the Team GB equestrian camp in his online blog; he will continue this diary throughout the Paralympic Games.
