Brit rides to his third-straight Paralympic gold
Updated: 2008-09-10 07:27
By Teddy Ng(HK Edition)
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Great Britain snatched two gold medals yesterday in the Paralympic equestrian competition.
Grade 1b rider Lee Pearson lightened the day as he won his third-straight gold medal by finishing his ride yesterday with a score of 73.238.
With hefty expectations to continue his success from Sydney and Athens, Pearson, atop Gentlemen, said the past week was a difficult one.
"Sometimes horses have their own ideas, and you get disheartened. I have to be careful," said the 34-year-old rider, who is already looking forward to London in 2012 as he relishes his third win on as many horses and in as many Paralympics.
Including yesterday's gold, Pearson has won eight medals between the Paralympics, world championships and national games.
Born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenital, he got involved in equestrianism in 1989. He said it gave him a chance to inspire other people.
"It tells people that we are not just disabled people," he said. "We are born with talent. ... And I am lucky that I found mine."
Norwegian rider Jens Dokkan, atop Lacour, and Brazilian Marcos Alves, atop Luthenay De V, claimed the silver and bronze medals, respectively, with scores of 68.857 and 67.714.
The Germans won the gold and bronze medals in the individual grade 3 test. German Hannelore Brenner, atop Women of the World, took the gold with a 71.440 score.
"I know when I am able to present her in this way," she said of her horse. "She is with me and even in my mind. It was a nice ride."
The 45-year-old rider said she will ride as long as she is able.
Denmark's Lykke Dalskov won the test's silver medal with a 71.040 score atop horse Alfarvad April Z.
"I could not have done better," she said. "I think my performance here was better than in the World Championships in Hartpury last year when I won the gold."
German Bettina Eistel, atop Fabuleux 5, grabbed the test's bronze with a 70.880 score.
The 47-year-old rider, who had her hands amputated and uses her mouth to horse rope, said she made three mistakes in communicating with the horse and running with proper rhythm.
"But my horse really wanted to go for me. We have a mutual trust. These were my faults," she said.
A friend gave her Fabuleux 5 two years ago at the price of 1 euro when the horse stopped normal competition.
The horse easily got tense, but the psychologist rider was optimistic and believed she could build a mutual understanding.
"The horse has difficulty understanding signals. But you cannot punish the horse for that," she said. "I will only laugh if he misunderstands me, and praise him as a good horse when he is on the right track," she said.
For more than a decade, Eistel disliked competing, saying she started riding for fun.
But since the death of her friend who persuaded her to compete, she has been hooked.
"I inherited my friend's dream," she said.
Yesterday's first gold medal was presented to Great Britain's Anne Dunham, atop Teddy, who realized her gold-medal dream after scoring 73.1 in the individual grade 1a test, beating teammate Sophie Christiansen by 0.3 points.
"I have wanted to win the gold medal over the past Paralympics," the 49-year-old with sclerosis said. "I am very pleased today. My horse did the best he could given the circumstances."
She is confident that the horse will continue performing well in the freestyle test on Thursday.
Hong Kong rider Nelson Yip will participate in grade 2 of the individual freestyle test today.
(HK Edition 09/10/2008 page1)