Four years of waiting for another individual gold medal to add to his already record-breaking tally came to an end for an emotional Lee Pearson (GBR), who took the Grade Ib individual title at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy (FRA) today.
Pearson has won 32 Paralympic, world and European titles in his career so far, but his last individual gold was four years ago at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010 in Kentucky. At London 2012 he took silver and bronze in the individual tests, something of a shock result at the time, and gold in the team competition, and then missed the cut for selection for the British team at last year’s European Championships.
Pearson, riding Zion, scored 77.310% ahead of his London 2012 rival and freestyle gold medallist Pepo Puch of Austria. Riding Fine Feeling S, Puch scored 74.793% to take silver, while the bronze went to Nicole Den Dulk of The Netherlands, riding Wallace to score 71.621%.
End of a tough journey
Clearly moved by his victory, Pearson said: “I just love that horse. He gives me everything. He was still a bit aware of his surroundings within the arena, which is quite novel because normally he’s totally focussed on me, but he stayed really relaxed.
“It’s been a tough journey, what with London and not getting selected for the Europeans and a tough five years personally as well. It’s also been tough with this horse. A lot of people didn’t have faith in him, but I always have from day one. We’ve had our problems – he broke my back in four places – but I adore riding him. I ride him outdoors on my own and we’re just two naughty beans that have fun together. We make the perfect pair.
“I don’t love too many horses, they are all treated equally in my yard, but I do love him and we have proved quite a few people wrong and it means a lot.”
London 2012 individual bronze medallist, and current European champion Puch said of his silver: “At the beginning I was quite afraid about my score. I had to wait and wait as I rode at the beginning, so I had the whole day waiting but I’m really happy with the silver. I was sitting and watching my colleagues and watching the Austrian rider in the Dressage arena. That’s the good thing about these Games, we have a lot of disciplines taking place.”
Puch had competed at previous Games as an able bodied rider before an accident caused his disability. He added: “I know them all and this is my third discipline at a World Equestrian Games.”
First medal
In taking the bronze, The Netherlands’ Den Dulk won her first major international medal and had a smile that looked as if she had won gold. “I have no words,” she said. “This was out of this world. I have so much emotion. My whole goal was just to come high enough to ride in the freestyle and now I am standing here with a medal. It’s unbelievable. Pepo is my ultimate hero in Para-Equestrian Dressage and I have just been beside him on the stage.”
Close call in Grade III
Earlier in the day, Germany’s Hannelore Brenner had claimed the first gold medal of the Para-Equestrian Dressage competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014.
Brenner, riding Women of the World, successfully defended her 2010 world individual title against Sanne Voets of The Netherlands, and Susanne Jensby Sunesen of Denmark.
The double London 2012 gold medallist scored 73.610% to Voets’ 73.146%, riding Vedet PB. Sunesen, on Thy’s Que Faire, scored 71.976%.
After receiving her medal, Brenner said: “I am really happy. The ride was wonderful and I am so happy that it was enough for the first place. You don’t know till the end of the competition and I didn’t stay to watch as I don’t have the nerves for that, but I looked at the live score when Sanne was riding. I think it took a year off my life!
“It could be the last time with my horse because she is 19 years old so I am very emotional, more than the other years.”
The first and second place results in the Grade III echo those of last year’s European Championships. Voets reflected on that and said: “Last year in Herning I won the same medal in the same test and the difference between me and Hannelore was quite big, but now we are getting closer every time. It’s going to be exciting in the freestyle.” Voets won the freestyle competition at the Europeans, with Brenner taking the silver.
Sunesen’s bronze is her first major international medal, having come fifth at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. “It is wonderful,” she said. “I nearly cried when I got to the podium and I am just so happy. It means a lot to break through.”
Tomorrow sees the final individual tests decided as Grades Ia, II and IV riders take to the arena. Crucially tomorrow, the team competition will also be decided with the top three teams earning the first places at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
More from Horse Sport:
