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Britain’s 2008 Paralympic team
last updated on June 16, 2008 19:57
The British Equestrian Federation has selected the seven para-equestrian dressage riders for the ParalympicsGB team for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games to take place at the Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong from 7-11 September. They are:
Grade Ia:
· Sophie Christiansen riding the Para Dressage Training Trust's Lambrusco III
· Anne Dunham riding Sally Ann Brown's Teddy
Grade Ib
· Ricky Balshaw riding his own and Julia Lazzari's Deacon's Giorgi
· Lee Pearson riding his own, Mr & Mrs David Pearson's and Gillian Chinn's Gentleman
Grade II
· Felicity Coulthard riding her own Roffelaar (pictured)
Grade III
· Deborah Criddle riding her own and Bruce Criddle's Pavaroti
· Simon Laurens riding John Gamlin's Ocean Diamond
The squad features a mix of youth and experience, with Lee Pearson set to make his third Paralympic appearance and Anne Dunham her fourth. Six-time Paralympic gold medallist Lee has never been beaten at a Paralympic Games and Anne Dunham, at 59, is likely to be one of Britain’s oldest athletes for Beijing. It will also be Deborah Criddle’s third games and she will be hoping to build on her triple gold at Athens in 2004.
Lee said: “You can never take selection as a given. Gentleman is a young horse, but he has been brilliant over the selection trials. The hard work starts now though and I want to wrap him up in cotton wool.”
Twenty-year-old 2004 Paralympic Games bronze medallist Sophie Christiansen returns to the team for her second games along with 21-year-old Ricky Balshaw, 40-year-old Simon Laurens and 24-year-old Felicity Coulthard, who are all making their Paralympic debuts.
Simon said: “Since my first prelim competition two years ago to the world championships last summer, it’s been an absolute whirlwind, but this is the ultimate. I always hoped that Ocean Diamond would be destined for Hong Kong; he’s such a great little horse.”
Para-Equestrian Dressage team manager David Hunter said: “It’s been an extremely competitive period. All the selectors have been surprised and impressed by the standard - it certainly hasn’t been an easy job. I am confident we have a strong team with an excellent support crew behind them that will be as well prepared as possible in three months’ time. We are all grateful for the continuing support of UK Sport Lottery Funding for providing such important resources to the team. Good luck to all and commiserations to those riders who haven’t been selected.”
The British Equestrian Federation has also named three reserve rider/horse combinations and two reserve horses:
Reserves (rider/horse)
· Joanne Pitt riding Mr & Mrs Robert Pitt's Estralita
· Nicola Tustain riding the Berkeley Group's Rivaldo
· Sophie Wells riding Nicola Wells' Touchdown II
Reserve horses
· The Para Dressage Training Trust's Nairobi
· John Gamlin's Ocean Don Jon
