Natasha Baker, British paradressage rider
Natasha Baker, born in December 1989, is a grade II paradressage rider.
She lives at home on her family farm in Uxbridge, West London.
When Natasha was just 14 months old she contracted a virus, transverse myetitis, which is a neurological disorder affecting communications between nerves in the spine and rest of the body.
As a child Natasha realised she was keen to ride, despite her disability, and aimed to follow in the footsteps of her mother who used to event.
Natasha began attending lessons at the local Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) centre and went on to win the RDA National Championships aged nine.
In 2002 Natasha was selected for the World Class Performance Programme.
This encouraged her to buy her first horse, Charlie, who she won the under-21 paradressage International Championships in 2005 with.
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As Natasha progressed, she began riding a loan horse, Woody, who she competed at the FEI World Para Dressage Championships at Hartpury.
Natasha entered as a non-medalist qualification at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008 and would have gone on to win the individual bronze had she been qualified as a medalist.
In 2011, she began riding Cabral (stable name JP), who she won two gold medals for the paradressage at the European Championships and two national titles (2011 and 2012). They went on to win two individual gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
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