Tag Archives: Lee Pearson

Competitions, Dressage, Olympic Games, Para-Equestrian

Roxanne Trunnell Breaks Paralympic Record in Stunning Night of Freestyle Displays

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L-R: Rihards Snikus (LAT) silver, Roxanne Trunnell (USA) gold, Sara Morganti (ITA) bronze (FEI/Liz Gregg)

Roxanne Trunnell (USA) broke the nine-year-old Grade I Paralympic Freestyle record in a stunning Freestyle competition which also saw Sir Lee Pearson (GBR) take his third gold of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

The highest scoring podium

Grade I was the only Grade to have three athletes with a score of over 80% on the podium. Roxanne Trunnell (USA) scored 86.927% on Dolton to break the previous record of 84.750% set by Sophie Christiansen (GBR) in London 2012.

“I just wanted a nice test. It felt good with the music the whole time,” Roxanne said. “It’s been really nice. Everyone is so happy and friendly it makes everyone in the barn happy. It’s just fun. Everyone will be excited when we get home.”

The ever-brilliant Rihards Snikus (LAT) took his second silver in Tokyo on King of the Dance with 82.087%, doubtless prompting more demands for his DJing skills when he gets back home. For Rihards, these two medals more than make up for his disappointment at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. And third place went to Sara Morganti (ITA) on Royal Delight, with 81.100%.

Sir Lee makes it a golden 14

Sir Lee Pearson (GBR) became the most successful athlete in the entire competition by taking his third gold medal of Tokyo 2020, the 14th of his Paralympic career, in the Grade II Freestyle.

His relatively inexperienced and home-bred partner, Breezer, took him to a massive 82.447% to take the title ahead of Pepo Puch (AUT) who rode Sailor’s Blue to a score of 81.007%. Meanwhile, Lee’s young teammate, Georgia Wilson (GBR), added another brilliant bronze to her collection on Sakura with 76.754%, which is not a bad result for the reserve rider who was called to Tokyo as a last-minute replacement for Sophie Christiansen.

“Number 14, not that we’re counting,” laughed Lee. “I’m twice over the moon. I actually didn’t care if I medalled. That horse gave me his heart in there. He was so much braver than the team and individual test a few days ago. He was still nervous, and we had a tiny little spook when we entered but I said, ‘come on, we can do this’.”

Lee came to Tokyo with Breezer having had to retire from their selection event. “I’ve not managed to ride this Freestyle in a competition, so I’ve been nervous for days. He’s brilliant. I’m taking the best horse home. I didn’t think I could love him any more than I did before but he’s beautiful, amazing.”

Sanne’s HAEVNly gold

Sanne Voets (NED) stormed to victory in the Grade IV Freestyle with a massive personal best score of 82.085% to win her class. Riding Demantur N.O.P. to the stirring music of Dutch artists HAEVN, she finished comfortably ahead of silver medallist Louise Etzner Jakobbson (SWE) who scored 75.935% on Goldstrike B.J. Manon Claeys (BEL) took bronze on San Dior 2 with 75.680%.

Louise’s silver was even more remarkable given that she broke her leg falling off her bike just a couple of months ago, and only got back on a horse to ride two weeks ago during the horses’ quarantine in Aachen (GER).

Speaking after her ride, Sanne said: “I’m not sure I can find the right words. I was really focussed and normally when I first enter a test, I try to make eye contact with the judge. I never did that here; it was just me and my horse and the music. It was a bit like hypnosis. It felt powerful and soft and relaxed and confident. Sometimes when you ride a test, you’re thinking, ‘what do I do now?’ but it was like it just happened to me. It felt like we found that true harmony and it was the two of us and no one else.”

Michele’s golden double

Michele George (BEL) was dominant again in the Grade V Freestyle, defending her London 2012 and Rio 2016 titles with aplomb. She scored 80.590% on Best of 8 to pip Frank Hosmar (NED) to the title by just 0.350 of a point. Frank, riding Alphaville N.O.P., scored 80.240 to take the silver, while Regine Mispelkamp (GER) took bronze with 76.820 on Highlander Delights.

“I’m really blown away. The mare is just fantastic. What can I say? I’m a bit speechless because coming over here with a young horse and showing the world what she’s capable of is just genius. I knew she could, but I thought maybe it was a bit early to show everyone because at home she can work like a queen but at home is at home.”

Michele went into the arena just after Frank had posted his great score. “Once you’re riding into the arena, you don’t look at that,” she said. “I know he had a high score, but I thought the mare feels good, so I came into the arena and tried to make something even better. That’s the spirit.”

Tobias’s double delight

In the second highest winning score of the night, Tobias Thorning Jorgensen (DEN) rode Jolene Hill to his second gold of the Paralympic Games in the Grade III Freestyle. Together they scored a massive 84.347% to take the title ahead of Natasha Baker (GBR), who scored 77.614% on Keystone Daw Chorus. Anne Katrin Lubbe (NOR) took the bronze on La Costa Majlund with 76.477%.

A clearly delighted Tobias said after his ride: “I feel great. I left my head out here this time because I wanted to show I can do this. I just rode to the edge of being too much and I was probably closer to some mistakes today than I was yesterday, but I took the chance.

“I always had the dream of double gold, but I knew it would be hard. I would be happy if it was a silver or bronze, just to get two medals at my first Paralympics, but two golds is amazing.”

At the end of five days of stunning Para Dressage competition, the horses and athletes of Tokyo 2020 will now start their journeys home. They will remember a record-breaking week of drama and fierce competition which saw new champions crowned and titles re-won or defended.

Great Britain tops the Para Dressage table, with three golds, three silvers, and two bronzes, ahead of The Netherlands’ two golds, two silvers, and two bronzes. Belgium takes the third spot with two golds and two bronzes, followed by the USA in fourth position with two golds and a bronze.

The world’s best Para Dressage athletes will gather again in August 2022 at the FEI World Championships in Herning (DEN). Until then, the memories of this competition in Tokyo will be slow to fade. It’s been a dazzling, brilliant Paralympic Games.

by Rob Howell

Media contact:

Vanessa Martin Randin
Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications
vanessa.randin@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 73

Competitions, Dressage, Olympic Games, Para-Equestrian

And the Team Medal Chase Is On

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Natasha Baker (GBR) with Keystone Dawn Chorus. (FEI/Liz Gregg)

With day one of the Para Dressage Team competition complete, the Tokyo 2020 medal winners remain impossible to call.

On current standings any combination of The Netherlands, Great Britain, USA, Belgium, and Denmark could take a place on the podium, and in any order.

All Team riders from Canada and Singapore have now competed, leaving Canada at the top of the leader board with a combined score of 211.699, ahead of Singapore with 200.792.

How it works

There are three athletes per team. Each Grade competes separately in its own Team Test, with each horse and athlete combination performing a series of pre-determined movements, which differ by Grade.  The combined results of each of the teams’ three athletes will determine the overall score and the team with the most points wins gold.

Great Britain’s best start

The day started well for Sir Lee Pearson (GBR) who won the Grade II Team Test on Breezer with 77.636%.

“I am over the moon with that lovely score. Breezer doesn’t like the Olympic arena and he was quite frightened in there. He’s a sensitive soul, but I’m so proud of him because I held his hand and he trusted me and I could be sitting here with a different story.

“He’s sensitive, but that sensitivity, when it’s on side, makes him fabulous.”

Pepo Puch (AUT) came second in the Test on Sailor’s Blue with 74.909%, while Katrine Kristensen (DEN) earned her team a valuable 72.515% on Welldone Dallas.

Roxanne throws down an 80 plus challenge

Roxanne Trunnell (USA) laid down the day’s only 80 plus score in the Grade I Team Test, riding Dolton to 80.321%. The noise of fire engines attending a nearby incident added pressure during her Test, but the pair rose above it to perform calmly and brilliantly.

Second place went to Sara Morganti (ITA) with an impressive 79.286% on Royal Delight, ahead of Michael Murphy (IRL) on Cleverboy, with 75.179%. That last result was especially pleasing for the young Irish rider, coming the day after he suffered an equipment failure in the Grade I Individual Test which left him in last place.

“He felt brilliant again,” Roxanne said after her Test. “He was a little tense, but we worked through it.”

Referring to the disturbance outside, she added, “That’s what made him tense up a little. I don’t think you can prepare. It just happens and you go with it.

“It means a lot to ride for the USA after such a weird year. Everyone is going to remember this Paralympics.”

Baker builds as Thorning Jorgensen leads

Tobias Thorning Jorgensen (DEN) gave his country a real shot at a medal with a stunning 79.559% in the Grade III Team Test, on Jolene Hill.

But also building her team’s score was Natasha Baker (GBR) who posted 76.618% on Keystone Dawn Chorus, just ahead of Rixt van der Horst (NED) on Findsley N.O.P. with 76.235%.

“It was intense today,” said Tobias. “I’ve done something today, so I have a little bit of pain, so that was just Jolene carrying me around. I’m very grateful to her, she went even better than yesterday.

“This is a great start and I hope we can be a medal contender or at least be there, so if anyone makes a mistake, we can take it. I just love the Team competition because we go down here as a family and be there for each other.”

How things stand, and what happens next

Based on the scores at this halfway point in the competition, the gold medal is still up for grabs between the USA, Great Britain, and The Netherlands. However, strong performances from the two Danish riders, and with Belgium’s two remaining riders still to go, mean those two countries could still snatch a medal.

It will all come down to the Grade IV and V Tests. As the Grade V athletes go first, all eyes will be on Kate Shoemaker (USA) who will determine her team’s final score, as well as on Frank Hosmar (NED), who will want to build on his teammate Rixt’s performance.

Individual Grade IV bronze medallist Manon Claeys (BEL) and Grade V Individual Test gold medallist Michele George (BEL) will complete Belgium’s competition, while Grade V Individual Test silver medallist Sophie Wells (GBR) could produce her country’s winning score.

But in a dramatic finish, Grade IV Individual Test gold medallist Sanne Voets (NED) could find herself riding to seal victory for her country. As the last of the likely winners to ride, she will have a good idea of the score needed to get the gold. Adding to the pressure is her chance of becoming only the third Para Dressage athlete to secure the triple, triple of consecutive European, World, and Paralympic gold medals.

Sanne insists that she doesn’t play the numbers game, but her fans and followers of Para Dressage will know that this will be one of the highest stakes ride she will ever perform.

Results here.

by Rob Howell

Media contact:

Vanessa Martin Randin
Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications
vanessa.randin@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 73

Competitions, Dressage, Olympic Games, Para-Equestrian

Once a Champion, Always a Champion

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L to R: Pepo Puch (AUT) silver, Lee Pearson (GBR) gold, and Georgia Wilson (GBR) bronze. (FEI/Liz Gregg)

They came, they saw, they conquered. Some of the world’s most experienced and decorated Para Dressage athletes took to the stunning Baji Koen arena for the first competitions and medals of the Equestrian Events at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Emotions were running high, as were temperatures, but everyone kept their cool for the first individual medals up for grabs in Grades II, IV, and V – and the all-important qualification for the top eight ranked athletes in each Grade earning their spot in the Individual Freestyle to Music test which takes place on Monday 30 August.

Sir Lee Pearson, the world’s most decorated equestrian Paralympian, does it again…

In an emotion packed first day of competition, Pearson (GBR) collected his 12th Paralympic gold medal at his sixth Paralympic appearance since 2000 at the Baji Koen Equestrian Park, winning the Grade II Individual Test.

Lee rode his home-reared Breezer to the title with a score of 76.265% to finish ahead of Pepo Puch (AUT), who rode Sailor’s Blue to score 73.441%. These two highly experienced athletes are used to tussling for the top spot, with Pepo claiming Individual gold in Rio ahead of Pearson and vice versa for the Freestyle medals.

Georgia Wilson (GBR) picked up a fairy tale of a bronze medal on Sakura, with 72.765%. She was the team’s reserve rider and was called to the Paralympic Games just two weeks ago, when her teammate Sophie Christiansen was forced to withdraw due to a veterinary issue with her horse.

Speaking after his ride, Lee said, “I am very, very emotional. I cried on the second X on hold in the arena. It’s been such a long journey. Breezer is a horse who I’ve had since he was born. I am also a dad myself now, and that has also made me more emotional.

“I didn’t think having a home-bred horse would give this a little extra meaning, but it has. I saw him at hours old in a field and to complete that test, which at my last test event I did not complete, that added to the emotion.”

Sanne gets the missing gold

There was more emotion on display when Sanne Voets (NED) won the Grade IV Individual Test, the one gold medal missing from her collection of European, World, and Paralympic titles.

Sanne scored 76.585% on Demantur N.O.P, which was the highest score of the day, while Rodolpho Riskalla (BRA) took the silver medal on Don Henrico with 74.659%. Belgium’s Manon Claeys marked her Paralympic debut with a bronze medal, scoring 72.853% on San Dior 2.

“I think my face pretty much told it,” said Sanne. “I’m just over the moon with him. He still amazes me every day and he travelled here well. When you enter the stable and you see he’s happy, relaxed, and at ease, you realise again that’s what is most important.

“Of course, you’re here to perform at your very best and you want to win medals, but there’s always one thing more important than the result, and that’s just your horse being happy.

“But when you are sitting on a horse like that, there’s no way you cannot smile and not enjoy your test.”

Seventh heaven for Michele George

The last medal of the night went to Michele George, in just her seventh competition with Best of 8. She scored 76.524% to finish ahead of Sophie Wells (GBR) who rode her reserve horse, Don Cara .M to an impressive 74.405% in his first ever overseas competition. Frank Hosmar (NED) took the bronze on Alphaville N.O.P., with 73.405%.

Michele wore the gloves and boots she wore at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games at which she won the Grade V Freestyle, with a silver in the Individual Test, on the late FBW Rainman.

“I’m really proud of my mare and I enjoyed the ride,” she said. “And this is for me the most important thing, that I could come home and say I’ve done everything I could. She had a beautiful performance, and she gave her best. Best of 8 gave her best!

“She did great half passes and I think she had a very nice extended canter as well. So it’s amazing. I can’t find the right words to express how impressive it was for me. It is a once in a lifetime experience.”

More medals up for grabs

At the end of day one of the competition, Great Britain top the Para Dressage medal table with one gold, one silver, and a bronze, with The Netherlands and Belgium close behind on one gold and a bronze each.

There are a total of 11 sets of medals being contested at the Para Equestrian Events of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games across the five Grades – five Individual, five Freestyle to Music, and one overall team medal.

Results here.

by Rob Howell

Media contact:

Vanessa Martin Randin
Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications
vanessa.randin@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 73

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Para-Equestrian

Lubbe and Pearson Lead on Day One of Para-Equestrian

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Ann Cathrin Lubbe and Donatello (Jon Stroud/FEI)

Rio de Janeiro (BRA), 11 September 2016 – On a sweltering day in Deodoro, Norway’s Ann Cathrin Lubbe was the first to take the lead in the Rio 2016 para-equestrian dressage competition on Sunday (11 September), earning the top spot in the grade III team test. Riding Donatello at the Olympic Equestrian Centre, the double Athens 2004 gold medallist scored 72.237% to finish ahead of The Netherlands’ Sanne Voets in second, and Denmark’s Susanne Sunesen in third.

Lubbe’s victory was made even more impressive as it occurred during a period of competition which was regularly interrupted by bursts of fireworks from the neighbouring town.

“I had a marvellous ride what with the noise and everything,” she said. “My trainer had told me to ignore everything and just ride, so I just rode. But he’s a very good horse too.”

Lubbe is appearing in her fourth Games, having first ridden in Sydney 2000. She didn’t ride in London 2012 and added: “It’s good to be back.”

Reigning grade III world freestyle champion Voets was just two percentage points behind Lubbe. “I’m really happy with that,” she said. “I was hoping for a little more but for now the feeling and the test and the way my horse reacted to everything it was good. He did everything I asked and that’s the maximum we can get.”

The afternoon’s grade Ib test was won by Great Britain’s 10-time Paralympic champion Lee Pearson, riding Zion and scoring 75.280%. Pearson’s score, however, will not count towards the British Team’s competition as he was not selected to ride for the team.

In second place, and winning the team aspect of the contest, was Austria’s Pepo Puch with 74.000%. Germany’s Alina Rosenberg, at her first Games, was third.

“That horse gave me everything he could possibly give me at his age, his education and his strength,” said Pearson. “I love him to bits. I do care about the results but I don’t care what the judges think because he was brilliant, amazing. I think it’s the best test he’s ever done.

“The win doesn’t make me complacent for two days’ time but I think the warm up plan worked with him being relaxed in the arena.”

For Puch this was his first ride at a major international on his new horse, Fontainenoir. “I’m happy. It was not a bad start,” he said. “He’s a really nice hard working guy, with lots of thinking.”

Puch, Brazil’s Rodolfo Riskalla and Denmark’s Stinna Tange Kaastrup had to contend with the added stress of not knowing whether or not they would be able to competition Sunday as their horses were held overnight following Saturday’s (10 September) horse inspection. Kaastrup, who missed out on a place at London 2012 after her previous horse died, came fourth in the grade Ib and described the wait as “the worst night of my life”.

For Italy’s world number two and reigning grade Ia freestyle champion, however, there was not such fortune. Her horse, Royal Delight, was also held for re-inspection and was not passed as fit for competition, knocking a devastated Morganti out of the Games completely.

The team competition continues on Monday (12 September) at the Olympic Equestrian Centre in Deodoro with the grades IV and Ia competition.

By Rob Howells

FEI Media Contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Press Relations
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 787 506 142

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

Competitions, Dressage, Para-Equestrian, World Equestrian Games

Lee Pearson Successfully Defends World Individual Grade Ib in Normandy

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Great Britain’s Lee Pearson (centre) celebrates clinching the Grade Ib individual title at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 with Austria’s Pepo Puch taking silver and The Netherlands’ Nicole Den Dulk scoring bronze. (Jon Stroud/FEI)

Normandy (FRA), 27 August 2014 – Four years of waiting for another individual gold medal to add to his already record-breaking tally came to an end for an emotional Lee Pearson (GBR), who took the Grade Ib individual title at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA) today.

Pearson has won 32 Paralympic, world and European titles in his career so far, but his last individual gold was four years ago at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010 in Kentucky. At London 2012 he took silver and bronze in the individual tests, something of a shock result at the time, and gold in the team competition, and then missed the cut for selection for the British team at last year’s European Championships.

Pearson, riding Zion, scored 77.310% ahead of his London 2012 rival and freestyle gold medallist Pepo Puch of Austria. Riding Fine Feeling S, Puch scored 74.793% to take silver, while the bronze went to Nicole Den Dulk of The Netherlands, riding Wallace to score 71.621%.

End of a tough journey

Clearly moved by his victory, Pearson said: “I just love that horse. He gives me everything. He was still a bit aware of his surroundings within the arena, which is quite novel because normally he’s totally focussed on me, but he stayed really relaxed.

“It’s been a tough journey, what with London and not getting selected for the Europeans and a tough five years personally as well. It’s also been tough with this horse. A lot of people didn’t have faith in him, but I always have from day one. We’ve had our problems – he broke my back in four places – but I adore riding him. I ride him outdoors on my own and we’re just two naughty beans that have fun together. We make the perfect pair.

“I don’t love too many horses; they are all treated equally in my yard, but I do love him and we have proved quite a few people wrong and it means a lot.”

London 2012 individual bronze medallist and current European champion Puch said of his silver: “At the beginning I was quite afraid about my score. I had to wait and wait as I rode at the beginning, so I had the whole day waiting but I’m really happy with the silver. I was sitting and watching my colleagues and watching the Austrian rider in the Dressage arena. That’s the good thing about these Games: we have a lot of disciplines taking place.”

Puch had competed at previous Games as an able bodied rider before an accident caused his disability. He added: “I know them all and this is my third discipline at a World Equestrian Games.”

First medal

In taking the bronze, The Netherlands’ Den Dulk won her first major international medal and had a smile that looked as if she had won gold. “I have no words,” she said. “This was out of this world. I have so much emotion. My whole goal was just to come high enough to ride in the freestyle and now I am standing here with a medal. It’s unbelievable. Pepo is my ultimate hero in Para-Equestrian Dressage and I have just been beside him on the stage.”

Close call in Grade III

Earlier in the day, Germany’s Hannelore Brenner had claimed the first gold medal of the Para-Equestrian Dressage competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014.

Brenner, riding Women of the World, successfully defended her 2010 world individual title against Sanne Voets of The Netherlands, and Susanne Jensby Sunesen of Denmark.

The double London 2012 gold medallist scored 73.610% to Voets’ 73.146%, riding Vedet PB. Sunesen, on Thy’s Que Faire, scored 71.976%.

After receiving her medal, Brenner said: “I am really happy. The ride was wonderful and I am so happy that it was enough for the first place. You don’t know till the end of the competition and I didn’t stay to watch as I don’t have the nerves for that, but I looked at the live score when Sanne was riding. I think it took a year off my life!

“It could be the last time with my horse because she is 19 years old so I am very emotional, more than the other years.”

The first and second place results in the Grade III echo those of last year’s European Championships. Voets reflected on that and said: “Last year in Herning I won the same medal in the same test and the difference between me and Hannelore was quite big, but now we are getting closer every time. It’s going to be exciting in the freestyle.” Voets won the freestyle competition at the Europeans, with Brenner taking the silver.

Sunesen’s bronze is her first major international medal, having come fifth at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. “It is wonderful,” she said. “I nearly cried when I got to the podium and I am just so happy. It means a lot to break through.”

Tomorrow sees the final individual tests decided as Grades Ia, II and IV riders take to the arena. Crucially tomorrow, the team competition will also be decided with the top three teams earning the first places at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

By Rob Howell

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA) on 23 August – 7 September brings together close to 1,000 riders and 1,000 horses from 74 nations for 15 days of world-class competition in Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining.

For more information, see: www.normandy2014.com.

History Hub

The FEI World Equestrian Games™ are held every four years in the middle of the Olympic and Paralympic cycle. They were first hosted in Stockholm (SWE) in 1990 and have since been staged in The Hague (NED) in 1994, Rome (ITA) in 1998, Jerez (ESP) in 2002, and Aachen (GER) in 2006. The first Games to be organised outside Europe were the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky (USA) 2010.

Visit the FEI History Hub here.

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