British team secures Paris 2024 qualification but falls just shy of the podium at Para Dressage World Championships

Strong individual performances were enough to secure the British equestrian para dressage team Paralympic qualification plus all riders going through to individual freestyle, despite being pipped to the podium

The heat was on while the British equestrian para dressage riders battled through their grade tests, and while each test offered plenty to be pleased with, the standards were set exceptionally high from start to finish. Ultimately, Great Britain finished in fourth place – less than two percentage points off a bronze medal – but with the top seven nations securing Paris 2024 qualifications, there’ll still be plenty to celebrate as all British riders go through to tomorrow’s individual freestyle, too.

Standing second in her grade, Sophie Wells was the last team member to compete for Great Britain and there was an enormous amount of pressure on her shoulders being aware of the exceptional score she’d need to achieve to boost Britain’s chances of medalling. While she couldn’t make this target alone after team experienced some incidences of bad luck throughout this round of rides, she showcased the magnificent Don Cara M to his best to be rewarded an exceptional score of 76.190%, rectifying their minor mishap from the previous test where they won an individual silver medal to score almost a whole percentage point higher.

Being a stalwart member of the team, Sophie’s held all positions in the team from going first, last and everywhere in between, so does the pressure get any less?

“It’s still tough,” Sophie answered, suggesting that, if anything, it gets worse! “My first championships in 2009 I wasn’t thinking about it at all, but it’s hard not to think about it now! [Competition] is closer and further ahead of us now, there’s much less wiggle room. We have to have our almost personal best rides every time to be able to be in the medals.

“It’s hard to go last in the team and the other guys didn’t have their perfect rides, so I just tried to stay focused on what me and ‘Donny’ could do. The other guys did a great job and they’ve posted good scores, but good scores don’t cut it these days.”

She finished by reflecting on her journey with the gelding so far and how much further they’ve still to go in the future. “As our partnership grows, he’ll trust me more and I know him more and how we have to prepare him,” she finished. “That’s all just part of the process. He’s still got loads more in there which is what’s nice, I don’t want to push too much too soon and upset him!”

Natasha Baker and Keystone Dawn Chorus, who also won an individual silver medal in their previous test, stood third individually in their grade, coming away with a score of 73.676, just a fraction of a percentage behind their score from their previous test, proving their consistency despite quite challenging circumstances.

“Some bits were better, but I still felt marginally out of control,” Natasha said after her test. “I was out of my saddle for that last halt, she was just powering down that last line. I actually got some leg-yield steps in today, so that was good, but she was just so keen in there! Just need to keep reinstalling those brakes!

“I’ve never been in an atmosphere like that with ‘Lottie’ before,” Natasha added. “Yet the atmosphere didn’t faze her, she wasn’t upset by the clapping – this is a great opportunity for her to come to this kind of event because we have got such low mileage compared to everyone else here.”

Natasha has battled with her health this year and acknowledged that this is probably the “most ill-prepared” she’d ever felt for a championship competition – in fact, before this week, she’d competed in just one big competition all year. But, with her eyes firmly on Paris 2024 as the end goal, Natasha’s celebrating her championship selection as a huge experience goldmine, helping her accustom ‘Lottie’ to crowds, electric atmospheres, and blaring music, while learning how to adapt her riding when her mare heats up under the pressure.

“I changed my warm-up to cater to the fact that she might be how she was the other day,” Natasha finished, and she felt the experience was certainly working in the pair’s favour. “Loads of transitions definitely helped!”

Coming away in third place in his Grade II test was Sir Lee Pearson riding his own homebred 11-year-old Breezer. Buoyed by a brilliantly contested individual bronze medal in the individual on Wednesday, Lee was looking to pull something special out of the bag to give the British team score a huge boost. Lee has always had high hopes for the Barcardi-sired, talented but sensitive gelding, but with the pressure mounting thanks to some 76%+ scores posted earlier in the day, it would need to be the test of a lifetime.

As he entered the arena, the vocal crowd in the neighbouring stadium burst into celebration for a clear jumping round, which noticeably unnerved Breezer. Luckily, Lee had enough time on the countdown clock to put in an extra circle to settle him before entering in trot and halting at X. The move-off in walk revealed that Breezer was certainly on his toes and that the veteran rider with 15 championships to his name would need to use all his experience.

The early walk work was tentative and Lee did well to keep Breezer in any sort of rhythm. Once the trot work was introduced and Breezer had more to think about, the picture continually improved and the higher marks flowed. The final halt and salute brought a sigh of relief from Lee, and it was now an anxious wait for the all-important score. The enormous scoreboard, which sits at the A end of the arena, flashed up with 73.529% – a good score, but perhaps a few percentage points off what the team had hoped for.

“The aim was a lovely supple, slow, relaxed walk today, with the same activity in the trot because we had that the other day, but he was literally on the edge of saying ‘I don’t want to be in this arena’,” Lee explained. “If we could trot and canter, you can hide those little issues a bit, but in walk, when they can so easily jog, it’s a very difficult test for a hot horse in a big environment.

“I’m really proud of him – sure, I’d like a higher score for the team, but I’m also pleased we managed to get a score on the board,” he continued. “I’m really pleased, still love him to bits even though it uses all my horsemanship to pilot a hot horse around a walk-trot test.”

Welsh wonder Georgia Wilson and Sakura came away sixth in the Grade II test with 72.971%. The test had a great rhythm and flow compared to her previous performance  – the leg-yields were obedient and the serpentines had a great fluidity about them. The judges’ marks, which could have been considered a bit conservative, slipped notably on the first medium trot, but that was the only negative on an otherwise extremely pleasing test.

“It was much better than the first day and I felt like I didn’t just go in there and freeze – I felt like I rode her,” said Georgia afterwards. “So, yeah, I’m happy with that. She was a bit more ridable and a bit calmer today – and listening to me a bit more.

“The walk work was better and there was good crossing in the leg-yields. She used the free walk as a breather, which was good. It was nice to go in there and ride her, not just be a passenger.”

After competing in Tokyo as individuals – where there are only three riders in a team – today, Georgia was back doing her bit for the British squad.

“It’s a bit weird being in the team – the last time was in 2019. I don’t feel any pressure here, so it’s quite nice to just go in there and focus. I can now look forward to the freestyle. I need to listen to my music now – it’s one of those that gets in your head. I have instructions [from coach Sophie] to do as I’m told!” she said.

Final placings and what’s next?

The final placings, which includes the top seven who will all earn qualifying spots at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, are…

1. Netherlands – 230.225
2. Denmark – 229.751
3. USA – 225.335
4. Great Britain – 223.395
5. Belgium – 223.164
6. Germany – 221.273
7. Italy – 219.202
8. France – 214.994
9. Ireland – 213.871
10. Austria – 213.755
11. Brazil – 208.671
12. Norway – 208.594
13. Australia – 205.391
14. Sweden – 204.268
15. Canada – 203.452
16. Poland – 198.033
17. Japan – 190.492
18. Spain – 188.143

The top eight from each grade will go through to the final day’s (Sunday 14 August) individual freestyle in a final bid to battle it out for a medal. All of Britain’s riders – Natasha Baker, Sir Lee Pearson, Sophie Wells and Georgia Wilson – will go through, so tune in to find out the final results.

Photo credit: Sophie Wells and Don Cara M © British Equestrian / Jon Stroud Media