L-R: Sara Morganti (ITA), Rihards Snikus (LAT), and Mari Durward-Akhurst (GBR), Particular person Freestyle Grade I © FEI/Liz Gregg
Two extra Particular person gold medals on the ultimate day of Freestyle topped the US’ finest ever Para Dressage efficiency at a Paralympic Video games as they topped the medal desk at Château de Versailles.
Fiona Howard, partnering Diamond Dunes in Grade II, and Rebecca Hart with Floratina within the concluding Grade III each gained their third golds at Paris 2024, after additionally triumphing with Roxanne Trunnell and Fan Tastico H in Friday’s Workforce occasion.
That took the USA’s tally to seven medals total – 5 golds, one silver, and one bronze – to smash their earlier Paralympic Video games better of two golds and a bronze achieved at Atlanta 1996 and Tokyo 2020.
Saturday additionally introduced the second Particular person gold medals of those Video games for Demi Haerkens (NED) and Daula in Grade IV, Michèle George (BEL) with Better of 8 in Grade V, and Rihards Snikus (LAT) on King of the Dance in Grade I.
Haerkens’ double gold, and a 3rd silver medal in Paris for Rixt van der Horst and Royal Fonq in Grade III, noticed the Netherlands end second within the Para Dressage medal desk for the third successive Paralympic Video games, with six total.
The primary of the ultimate day’s 5 occasions noticed Haerkens affirm her standing as a rising star of Para Equestrian as she and the chestnut mare Daula backed up their gold within the Particular person check with a personal-best Freestyle rating of 83.840%, that includes music from Vangelis and Period.
“It’s insane,” mentioned the 26-year-old, who additionally gained a silver within the Workforce occasion on her Paralympic Video games debut.
“It’s very intense, lengthy days, however it’s so good to be right here and to carry out in that lovely area with so many individuals, with the music you select. It feels wonderful that all the pieces was on level. I feel she loved it as a lot as I did.”
Anna-Lena Niehues (GER) and Quimbaya 6 scored 80.900% to take silver, including to their two bronzes within the Particular person check and Workforce occasion.
Kate Shoemaker (USA) and Vianne set a difficult goal of 80.170%, however needed to accept bronze, Shoemaker’s first particular person Paralympic medal after a Workforce bronze in Tokyo, leaving defending champions Sanne Voets (NED) and Demantur fourth, with 79.880%.
George (BEL) claimed her seventh Paralympic Video games title and fourth successive Freestyle gold, having gained on FBW Rainman in Grade IV in 2012 and 2016 and present horse Better of 8 in Grade V at Tokyo 2020.
The mixture earned a mark of 81.470%, however the 50-year-old indicated she can be on the lookout for a brand new associate earlier than Los Angeles 2028 comes round.
“That is the final time that I journey Better of 8 in a Paralympic Video games, so it was emotional,” she mentioned. “She’s 14 and can nonetheless take part in competitions as a result of each morning she desires to coach and it’s an actual pleasure. I find it irresistible. However for LA she can be too outdated, so this implies so much. Making the unimaginable occur on the proper time, it’s so vital.”
Regine Mispelkamp (GER) and associate Highlander Delight’s posted 80.100% to take a second Particular person silver at Versailles, and had been additionally a part of the German workforce which gained Workforce bronze.
Sophie Wells (GBR), on LJT Egebjerggards Samoa, gained her tenth Paralympic Video games medal and second Particular person bronze of Paris 2024 with a rating of 75.445%, mirroring the rostrum from the Particular person check.
Snikus (LAT) upgraded Particular person silver from Tokyo 2020 for gold for a second time at Paris 2024 as he partnered King of the Dance to victory within the Grade I Freestyle.
The 36-year-old and his bay gelding scored 82.487% to a joyously uplifting soundtrack. “We selected glad music as a result of we’re a cheerful workforce,” mentioned Latvia’s equestrian chef d’equipe Daria Tikhomirova, talking on behalf of Snikus.
“I get a creative pleasure to see him, like within the theatre once you hear an excellent opera or see a beautiful efficiency. It’s the results of an enormous effort by his technical coach and the entire workforce. I feel it was his finest Freestyle ever. It was simply wonderful.”
Sara Morganti (ITA), going final on Mariebelle, earned her second medal of those Paralympic Video games by taking silver with 81.407%, upgrading her bronze from the Particular person check and taking her total Paralympic tally to 4 medals.
Mari Durward-Akhurst (GBR) responded properly after a disappointing Particular person check on her Paralympic Video games debut to say bronze on Athene Lindebjerg, scoring 77.747%.
The day ended with two extra golden moments for the USA, Howard and Diamond Dunes delivering one other outstanding personal-best efficiency of their debut Paralympic Video games to triumph within the Grade II Particular person Freestyle.
The 25-year-old and her chestnut stallion earned a rating of 81.994% to again up their gold within the Particular person check and contribution to the USA’s victory within the Workforce occasion.
“Once I got here into these Video games, I simply wished to place down the most effective assessments I may,” Howard mentioned. “It was my first Paralympic Video games and I simply wished to do my finest and assist out the workforce. However this has gone above my expectations.
“On the third day, you need to dig a bit deep as a result of my muscle mass are undoubtedly drained, however I’ve such an ideal associate in Diamond Dunes and he is aware of his job. He gave me all the pieces, identical to the previous two instances. I couldn’t have requested for any extra.”
Georgia Wilson (GBR) and Sakura gained silver with 79.374%, including to their bronze within the Particular person check, whereas 69-year-old Heidemarie Dresing (GER) – the oldest Para Dressage athlete at Paris 2024 – gained her first Paralympic Particular person medal after three earlier fourth locations, taking bronze on Dooloop with 76.127%.
Hart rounded issues off by clinching her second Particular person gold with Floratina – and third total together with the Workforce occasion – in a tense finale to the Grade III Freestyle.
The 39-year-old and her bay mare, going final, stored their nerve to attain 83.534%, the best particular person rating of the 4 days of competitors in Versailles.
“That was so fantastic,” mentioned Hart. “I used to be a bit involved once we began cantering, however I used to be like, ‘She’s going to come again to me; she all the time does.’ It’s simply electrical. I informed her she was wonderful. She went, ‘Are we OK?’ and I mentioned, ‘Sure, we’re wonderful,’ and he or she mentioned, ‘OK, I belief you,’ and it was such a magical second. Then we hit the markers the way in which we would have liked to.”
It was robust on Van der Horst, who had posted an excellent rating of 83.007% with Royal Fonq, however needed to accept a 3rd successive silver medal at these Paralympic Video games and a fifth total, to go together with three bronzes.
“It was not good for my coronary heart,” she mentioned of watching the ultimate mixture deny her gold. “I used to be so wanting to get gold right this moment and a bit disillusioned it didn’t work out, however we will be actually proud. Three silver medals is fairly good.”
Natasha Baker (GBR) additionally signed off with a second Particular person bronze in Versailles on Daybreak Refrain with a mark of 77.140%, and a tenth Paralympic Video games medal total.
by Bryn Palmer