Daisy Dick - British Equestrian Federation

Para-Equestrian Dressage 26
Introduction
The first international Para-Equestrian Dressage competition
was a World Championship held in Sweden in 1987. This was
followed by World Championships in Denmark in 1991 and in
Great Britain in 1994. Para-Equestrian Dressage was first part of
the Paralympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and was then included
at Paralympic Games in Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004.
Great Britain has been at the forefront of the sport since its
inception and won team gold at all three Paralympics as well as
many individual medals.
In Hong Kong, Great Britain will be hoping to make it four team
golds in a row. The GB squad is in a strong position, having won
the World Championships in Great Britain in 2007, but these
Games will prove to be the most competitive yet, and the
squad's aspirations are a tough challenge. Seven riders are in
the GB Squad, which is the biggest of all competing nations as a
result of the outstanding historical success and world rankings
of Great Britain in the sport. All members of the squad, both
riders and support staff, are immensly looking forward to Hong
Kong and are relishing the opportunity to compete against the
best Para-Equestrian Dressage riders in the world, in
oustanding equestrian sporting facilities and in challenging
climatic conditions.
David Hunter
Team Manager Para-Equestrian Dressage
Para-Equestrian Dressage Records
1996: Atlanta
Team gold: Anne Dunham, Kay Gebbie, Elizabeth Stone,
Diane Tubbs
Individual gold: Joanna Jackson (Grade IV& Freestyle)
Individual silver: Elizabeth Stone (Grade III) Patricia
Straughan (Grade IV) Dianne Tubbs (Grade I)
Individual bronze: Anne Dunham (Grade II), Dianne Tubbs
(Grade I Freestyle)
2000: Sydney
Team gold: Anne Dunham, Kay Gebbie, Lee Pearson,
Nicola Tustain
Individual gold: Kay Gebbie (Grade IV Freestyle), Lee
Pearson (Grade I & Grade I Freestyle), Nicola Tustain
(Grade II Freestyle)
Individual bronze: Kay Gebbie (Grade IV),Nicola Tustain
(Grade II)
2004: Athens
Team gold: Debbie Criddle, Anne Dunham, Lee Pearson,
Nicola Tustain
Individual gold: Debbie Criddle (Grade lll & Grade lll
Freestyle); Lee Pearson (Grade l & Grade l Freestyle)
Individual bronze: Sophie Christianson (Grade la), Nicola
Tustain (Grade II & Freestyle Grade II)
David Hunter
David Hunter was a British Army
cavalry officer for 10 years, serving in
Germany, Cyprus, Northern Ireland
and the UK as well as spending a
year at the Ecole National d’Equitation
in Saumur, France. In 1993 he left the
army and was appointed director of
equine welfare for the International
League for the Protection of Horses, a
role he occupied for 5 years. In 1998
he moved to Fakenham Racecourse
as chief executive and clerk of the
course and in 2002, in addition to his
racing duites, he took on the role of
Performance Manager to the British
Para-Equestrian Dressage Squad.
David has successfully led the Brits to
team and individuals successes at the
Athens Paralympic Games, two World
Championships and one European
Championship. He is married with
three children, and lives in Norfolk
with too many horses, dogs and
chickens! When time allows, he
schools and exercises his daughter's
event horse, game shoots and runs to
try and keep fit.
Para-Equestrian Dressage at the Games
Athens 2004. Lee Pearson & Blue Circle
Boy (top) and Sophie Christianson & Hot
Stuff (bottom)
Medals Available: 11 sets of medals in total – team plus
individual medals in each of the 5 grades for
both a Championship competition and the Freestyle
competition.
British Horses: 7
British Riders: 7
British Reserves: 3 (non travelling)
Total Competitors: circa 78 horses and riders
Team Competition: A team of 4 out of the 7 riders
is selected to contest the Team competition, the 3 best
combined scores from the team test and the championship
test count towards the result. The Team must include at
leat one Grade Ia, Ib or II rider.
Para-Equestrian Dressage is the equestrian competition
that features in the Paralympic Games.
As in Dressage, the horses and riders complete sets of
movements in an arena, this is either 40m x 20m or 60m x
20m depending on the grade. Also as with Dressage,
sometimes these movements are predetermined and all
riders ride the same test and sometimes they are decided
by the rider and set to music.
In Para-Equestrian Dressage each rider is classified as a
particular grade from Ia,Ib, II, III or IV, depending on their
disability, with Ia being the most severely disabled, in order
to provide a fairer competition.
They find different ways to communicate with the horse,
and sometimes various aids are allowed, again dependant
on the level of disability. The compulsory movements in the
tests are different according to the different grades.
The Format
7th September: Team Test
Each of the 4 team riders complete a test for their relevant
grade. The three best scores from this test and the
individual championship test (see below) combine to give
the final score with the highest overall percentage being
the winner.
8th – 9th September: Individual Championship Tests
Each grade has a competition where each rider in that
grade rides the same test. The highest percentage within
each grade is the winner.
10th – 11th September: Individual Freestyle Tests
Each grade has a competition where the riders perform a
set of movements of their choice set to accompanying
music. The highest percentage in
each grade is the winner.
Para-Equestrian Dressage
27