Thursday, 18 July 2024
ParalympicsGB has confirmed the four para equestrian athlete and horse combinations set to compete at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The all-female squad features three medal-winning combinations from Tokyo 2020, in addition to the current para dressage world number one, who will be making her Paralympic Games debut.
Natasha Baker (Grade 3) has been selected for her fourth Games and her second with Keystone Dawn Chorus. As a new partnership in Tokyo, they won team gold, individual silver and freestyle silver, adding to the five golds that Natasha previously won at London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Baker, who is contesting her first Games as mother to one-year-old son Joshua, said: “I’m ecstatic to be part of the ParalympicsGB team heading to Paris. A lot has happened since Tokyo – not least the arrival of Joshua – and returning for what will be my fourth Paralympics Games, now as a mother, makes me incredibly proud. To be at the top of my sport again is such an incredible feeling, especially with him as my number one supporter. I’m so grateful to my team for enabling me to go through such an amazing journey over the last couple of years and supporting me more than ever before. I’m really excited for the new challenge and to see what Lottie [Keystone Dawn Chorus] and I can achieve in Paris.”
Mari Durward-Akhurst (Grade 1) will make her Paralympic Games debut in Paris. Previously a team silver medallist at the FEI Para Dressage European Championship in 2019, she now partners experienced horse Athene Lindebjerg, who contested Rio 2016 with Sophie Christiansen to win triple gold.
Durward-Akhurst, who in June became the world number one ranked athlete across all five para dressage grades, said: “I am so incredibly excited to have been selected for my first Paralympics – it’s a dream come true. I’m honoured to be riding Diane Redfern’s Athene and look forward to us competing together on the world’s biggest stage. I can’t thank everybody enough who has got us to this point.”
Georgia Wilson and Sakura (Grade 2) made their Games debut at Tokyo 2020 following a late call-up from the reserves bench and went on to win individual and freestyle bronze. Since then, their partnership has achieved podium placings at the FEI Para Dressage World Championship 2022 and FEI Para Dressage European Championship in 2023.
On her return to the ParalympicsGB squad, Wilson said: “I’m very excited and proud to be selected for Paris 2024 – I can’t believe I get to go to a second Paralympic Games with Sakura. I’m honoured and I can’t wait to go out and try my best in Paris.”
Sophie Wells (Grade 5) is another athlete to make her fourth Games appearance in Paris. She took three golds and three silvers across London 2012 and Rio 2016, followed by team gold and individual silver at Tokyo 2020 with new ride Don Cara M.
Wells, who has represented ParalympicsGB at every Paralympic Games, World Championship and European Championship since 2011, said: “I’m thrilled to be selected for Paris 2024 as my fourth Paralympic Games. It still feels surreal when we get to this point. I’ve been so proud of my horse, Don Cara M, throughout his selection campaign this year and am very grateful to his owner, Rowland Kinch. It’s starting to feel much more real now as we head into the final preparations for the Games.”
While all four combinations will compete for individual honours, three will also contest the team competition. The decision on this will be made before the start of competition in Paris.
Para equestrian’s Team Leader, Georgina Sharples, who is leading the squad for her second Games, commented: “It’s been a very strong campaign for all the British combinations aiming for the Games this year and they certainly didn’t make this an easy decision for the selection panel. However, I must offer my congratulations to Mari, Georgia, Natasha and Sophie for being the chosen four and the achievements that lead them to this point.
“There’s a great balance of experience and potential between our four athletes, and I look forward to seeing what they can achieve when we reach Versailles. The competition from other nations has never been fiercer, but we go to Paris with every intention of challenging for podium placings and hopefully we can do everyone proud.
“None of this would have been possible without the support of our horse owners and the athletes’ home teams, who play such a vital role in our quest for success on the world’s biggest sporting stage.”
Penny Briscoe, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission for Paris 2024, said: “I’m very proud that our Para equestrian squad has such a rich history of success on the Paralympic stage and it’s clear Natasha, Georgia, Sophie and Mari – and their horses – are terrific talents. I look forward to seeing them in action in Paris later this summer.”
A total of around 220 athletes from 19 sports are expected to make up the British team that will compete in Paris, with further names to be announced by ParalympicsGB in the coming days. At Tokyo 2020, ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports – the highest number of any nation ever. ParalympicsGB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.
The para equestrian competition will take place from 3–7 September in the scenic grounds of the Château de Versailles, just outside of Paris.
Liz Geldard and Beth Revill will act as travelling grooms for the horses in Paris.