Canadian Equestrian Team member Roberta Sheffield, who recently represented Canada at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014, won the Grade III test at the Le Mieux National Dressage Championships 2014 held September 19-21, 2014 in Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, UK.
Sheffield, who is based in Lincolnshire, UK, rode Double Agent, her seven-year-old Anglo-European Studbook mare, winning Grade III with a score of 70.81% in the KBIS Para Dressage Championship.
“I am so thrilled to have won the British Dressage KBIS National Para Championship especially as I was partnered with Double Agent, a horse I have worked with since I bought her as a two-year-old,” said Sheffield, who narrowly missed the medals and finished in fourth place at the World Equestrian Games riding Evelyn Little’s eight-year-old gelding Dutch Warmblood, Bindro T. “It was wonderful to be able to really show what Double Agent and I can do on the big stage, coming out on top. And it also showed that our victory in all the Grade III classes at the Hartpury (UK) CPEDI3* was no fluke, but the result of the hard work the Canadian coaches, my personal coach and myself have been putting in. We have been developing this horse slowly as I believe she has a huge future as an international para-dressage horse for Canada.”
“Being domiciled in the UK does have its challenges, but I am fortunate to be able to compete against Team Great Britain’s Paralympic gold medallists on a regular basis, so that really develops me as a rider. Para sport is huge in the UK, so competing against their riders is an uphill challenge. To be able to win at the most prestigious National Championship was a real punch-the-air moment,” added Sheffield enthusiastically.
On September 28, 2014, Sheffield also won both her Team (73.020%) and Individual Championships (74.390%) tests at the Winter Championships Qualifier held at Patchetts Equestrian Centre, Watford, UK, riding Double Agent.
Due to all her recent successes, Sheffield has also been nominated and made the short list for the Lincolnshire Disabled Sports Person of the Year award.
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