The Paris 2024 Paralympics equestrian competition kicked off today at the beautiful and historic equestrian venue here at Château de Versailles in France. Grade III individual para dressage competition was first in the arena with 13 competitors from 12 countries, including Rebecca Hart (USA) riding the 16-year-old Hanoverian mare Floratina riding in her fifth Paralympic Games.
Going next to last in the class, they posted the best score of the group, and a personal best score as well (77.900 percent), to take gold. This was Hart’s first Paralympic individual medal, although she contributed to team bronze for the USA at the Tokyo 2020/21 Paralympics. Today’s top finish also qualifies Hart and Floratina for the Paralympic Grade III Freestyle competition coming up on September 7.
Hart talked about the experience of riding at the Palace of Versailles and her mount Floratina, “It is such a surreal experience to ride into this venue with so much history and the majesty of this arena. I love the horse that I’m sitting on. She has just felt like a partner since the day that I [first] sat on her. She is the ultimate professional. She has traveled around the world with me and other riders. She just knows her job. She is so confident in herself and is the kindest, most intelligent mare I have ever experienced.”
Rixt van der Horst and Royal Fonq from the Netherlands took the silver in Grade III (76.433) with Natasha Baker and Dawn Chorus in bronze (73.167).
For more coverage, visit our Paris 2024 Paralympics main page.
Second in the stadium today was the Grade II individual para dressage competition. Nine competitors from eight countries took their turn in the ring, among them the newest member of the USA’s Para Equestrian Team, Fiona Howard.
Riding in her first Olympic Games, Howard partnered with Diamond Dunes, an 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Dressage Family LLC and Hof Kasselmann, to earn her first Paralympic medal―gold as well. The other medalists in Grade II Individual Test were Denmark’s Katrine Kristensen and Goerklintgaards Quater in silver position and Great Britain’s Georgia Wilson riding Sakura in bronze.
Knowing that her horse is going to be steady under pressure means a lot to Howard. “Diamond Dunes is amazing. He really tries so hard for me. It definitely gives me a sense of calmness. I can just go in there and be like, ‘I trust you,’ and he’s like, ‘I got you.’ How beneficial is it that?”
As the neophyte on the team, she says she is thankful for her veteran teammates who have all done one or more Paralympics before this one. “I am so honored to be on the team with all of them. If I had any questions I’d just I’d go to any of them and ask how does this work? And they’d say, don’t worry. Well, explain everything.”
The final class of the day, Grade I Individual Test, was the biggest with 22 competitors from 19 countries. The U.S. rider in Grade I was the gold medalist at the Tokyo 2020/21 Games, Roxanne Trunnell. Although, her Tokyo partner, Dolton has since been retired, and in late 2023 she began a new partnership with Fan Tastico H, a 7-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Karin Flint.
She and Fan Tastico H posted a very good score of 78 percent that put them into gold medal position. Then, Latvia’s Rihards Snikus and King of the Dance, who went fourth from last in the order, bested Trunnell’s and Fan Tastico H’s score by 1.167 points (79.167 percent) to earn gold and put Trunnell in silver position. (In Tokyo Trunnell and Snikus actually finished the other way around, with her in gold and him with the silver.) Italy’s Sara Morganti and Mariebelle took the bronze today in the Grade I class.
Trunnell had nothing but praise for the U.S. Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline and talked about the long-term strategy that has helped the U.S. Team improve so much in recent years. And, she said the venue was spectacular. “We have all been working so hard. It is nice to see it pay off. Michel Assouline is a really good Chef d’Equipe. He’s got us all shaping up well, with harder training and better horses. I think it is really cool to get to ride here and see it all.”
All three U.S. riders from today scored high enough to move on to Saturday’s (September 7) freestyle class. All plan to ride to music from the movies. Trunnell chose The Lion King, Howard Avatar and Hart Driving Miss Daisy.
The USA’s final rider, Kate Shoemaker riding Vianne, will compete tomorrow in the Grade IV Individual Test. Then, three riders will be chosen to represent the USA in the Team Test on Friday.
Competition starts tomorrow with the Grade IV Individual Test beginning at 10:00 a.m. Central European Time (4:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time), with Shoemaker and Vianne scheduled to go at 11:58 a.m (5:58 a.m. U.S. ET). The Grade V class starts at 12:55 p.m. CET (6:55 a.m. U.S. ET). There are no Americans entered in Grade V.
Wednesday, September 4 Orders of Go
◆ Grade IV
◆ Grade V
Currently, the USA leads the para equestrian medal count after day one with three. Great Britain has two medals and there is one medal each for Denmark, Italy, Latvia, and the Netherlands.
Watch all of the Paris 2024 para equestrian action livestreamed or played back on demand (subscription required). For more information go to NBCOlympics.com.
Tuesday, September 3 Results
◆ Grade III Results
◆ Grade II Results
◆ Grade I Results
Thanks to CareCredit for our spring and summer equestrian coverage.
