The individual grade II final went down to the wire, with just 0.8% covering the top three riders in the Arifarm Healthcare FEI World Para Dressage Championships results.

In the end it was Denmark’s Katrine Kristensen who inched her way to the top of the podium with 75.79% aboard Goerklintgaards Quater. Austria’s Pepo Puch slid into silver with Sailor’s Blue on 75.33%, just slightly ahead of Britain’s Sir Lee Pearson and Breezer, who posted 75.09% for bronze.

This is the Katrine and Quater’s first championship as a combination; Katrine rode at the Tokyo Paralympics with Welldone Dallas, but has only been partnered up with the 14-year-old Quaterback son since the start of this year. The two have already developed a super strong partnership, as shown by their fluid, expressive gold medal-winning test here.

Quater has beautiful paces and Katrine had him in a beautiful uphill frame during their test. They scored at least one eight for almost every movement, and Katrine reported that “he was really with me from the beginning”.

Katrine told H&H: “In the warm-up he was also so calm and cool. He has been a bit fresh these days before entering the arena, but today it was amazing.”

“I knew that I had a good horse [coming into the championships], so I believed a medal could be possible,” she said, adding that had she not had the opportunity to buy Quater over the winter, she might have taken a break from the sport.

“Welldone who I rode in Tokyo has been retired, but Quater was already on the same farm, so I have known him for two years before I bought him. When I came home from Tokyo, I didn’t know if I wanted to ride or have a break, but there was Quater and he wanted to have a rider. I wanted to try riding him because although he is a very fresh horse, I could see in his eyes that he also very calm and that he always wants to do the best for me. I started riding him for his former rider, and then I bought him two months after that.”

World Para Dressage Championships results: Pepo Puch claims silver

Pepo Puch is no stranger to the podium, and his silver here marked his 20th para dressage medal. It’s also his fifth World Para Dressage Championships silver – he won double silver in both Tryon 2018 and Caen 2014.

With this horse, the 14-year-old Swarovski gelding Sailor’s Blue, it is the fluidity and the horse’s fabulous walk that really stands out, with high marks coming from all five judges.

Pepo has been at the top of the sport now for over a decade, and he is thrilled with how the standard is growing, making for really exciting competition with so many riders now vying for the medals across the five grades.

“The quality of the sport is so high now. The daily luck or [lack of] luck is the key, but that’s fantastic for the sport and it’s progress. We hope by the next World Championships we can go in the big stadium,” said Pepo, referring to the fact that the para riders do not compete in the large Stutteri Ask Stadium here, but the smaller BB Horse Arena to the side of the main showground.

Some riders, though, were thankful that after two years of competing mostly without any crowds, their horses did not have to cope with such a massive atmosphere, including Britain’s Lee Pearson, who won bronze.

“I was really pleased we weren’t in the main stadium,” he said. “Part of you thinks you’d love to be, but I think my particular horse wouldn’t cope.

“I enjoy being at home in my arena on my own training, and at shows I don’t mind if there is an audience or not,” he added. “From a horseman’s perspective, less is more and of course safety [is key] in para dressage as we are not exposed to many audiences so when we are it has to be done carefully.”

You may also be interested in…

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What time do Lottie Fry and the other Brits ride in tonight’s freestyle at the World Dressage Championships?

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Paralympic dressage legend Lee Pearson has taken individual gold on the first day of equestrian action at the Tokyo Games.

Six-time Paralympian Lee rode a stunning test in the grade II individual competition to claim a “very emotional” gold medal – his 12th Paralympic gold and eighth individual Paralympic gold. Aboard his home-bred 10-year-old gelding Breezer, Lee scored 76.26% to finish almost 3% ahead of silver medallist, Austria’s Pepo Puch with Sailor’s Blue.

Britain’s Georgia Wilson, who took an early lead aboard the seven-year-old Supertramp mare Sakura, secured a brilliant individual bronze at her first Paralympic Games, after scoring 72.76% with a lovely test.

Lee and Breezer’s score was an international personal best for the pair across all three tests, and it was richly deserved. The Bacardi x Metall gelding, who was born in Lee’s parents’ field, is a super classy horse, and he displayed his beautifully loose, flowing paces with impressive overtrack in the walk and plenty of expression in the trotwork. Their test sheet was littered with eights, and they also pulled in nines for their circles, lengthened walk and Lee’s riding.

“I’m very happy; I cried at my second halt at X in the arena. It’s been a long journey, and Breezer is a home-bred horse,” said Lee, who has ridden at every Paralympic Games since Sydney 2000.

Success here was not a foregone conclusion for Lee, though, who was forced to retire Breezer at the final selection trial at Hartpury CPEDI in July after the gelding was upset by something in the arena.

“This is even more special because he’s very sensitive to environments, and at Hartpury I did not complete because of something in the environment there. So that added to the emotion,” said Lee.

“He knew this was a special day and a different day.

“When I heard everybody cheer within the British contingent [after the test], I thought, ‘Is that a cheer for a gold, or a great score, or just because I survived the test’,” he laughed.

“I wanted him to be soft, harmonious yet as powerful as I could make it. I’m really lucky that even though my disability when I walk is very obvious, when I’m in the saddle, I’m lucky that I have brilliant feel and suppleness in my lower back.”

Bronze medallist Georgia described finishing on the podium alongside Lee as “one of these amazing things that not many people can say they have done”.

“I kind of secretly wanted to take a medal home, but I didn’t tell anybody. And I didn’t go into it thinking it would happen,” laughed Paralympic first-timer Georgia, who was a late call-up to the British squad.

Having got off to the ideal start in the Paralympic dressage out in Tokyo, Britain has the potential to add another medal to the collection later today, with defending Paralympic grade V individual champion Sophie Wells in action at 10.20pm (2.20pm UK time) riding Roland Kinch’s Don Cara M.

Britain’s Natasha Baker, also a gold medallist from Rio, and London, will take to the arena in the grade III championship tomorrow riding Joanna Jenson, Christian Landolt and her family’s Keystone Dawn Chorus.

You may also be interested in…

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Tokyo Paralympics: British groom Jade Lockwood on her first senior championship experience – ‘I’m absorbing every bit of information I can’

Everything you need to know about para dressage at the Paralympics

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1. Pepo Puch

As soon as Pepo Puch’s individual gold medal winning score been announced, cries of “Papa, Papa” could be heard in the mixed zone. Pepo’s nine-year-old daughter Lou came running towards her father, weaving through the pack of journalists and trailing an Austrian flag, before throwing herself into his arms. She was closely followed by Pepo’s wife and trainer, Michele, and seeing the family embrace and celebrate together was one of the most touching moments of the Games.

2. Lee Pearson

Lee Pearson may have already had 10 gold medals to his name, but it was winning his 11th, in the grade Ib freestyle, that the tears came in their floods.

“I’m thinking of all the hard work this gold has taken, especially when some people don’t believe in your horse,” said Lee, who is the most decorated Paralympic rider of all time.

“I’m in love with my team. I’m in love with the lottery. I’m in love with my family, my parents, my brothers, my groom, my partner — everybody that has kept me in the game, kept me here.”

3. Sanne Voets

The Dutch team may have won the bronze medal, but on the Thursday night Sanne Voets was empty-handed as she had been competing as an individual and not on the team. After finishing an agonising fourth in the grade III individual, she and her Vivaldi gelding Demantur gave the freestyle their all and were rewarded with gold.

“I think I collapsed when I heard I had won the gold!” said Sanne.

4. Stinna Kaastrup

One of the most moving stories of the Games was that of Denmark’s Stinna Kaastrup. The 22-year-old, who was born without legs, was due to compete at the London Paralympics when her pony Labbenhus Snoevs died suddenly just weeks beforehand. In the interim years she has struggled to find the right horse until Smarties was offered to her, but it took the gelding months to understand her aids and earlier this year she said it would not be possible to be ready for Rio. Then, Stinna experienced “the worst night of my life” after Smarties failed the trot-up. Having made it to Rio against the odds, finally passed the trot-up on reinspection, and produced the grade Ib performances of her life to secure two bronze medals, there is no one who deserved a place on the podium more.

5. Medals

Discovering that the Rio 2016 Paralympic medals make different noises, as a much-appreciated gesture to blind athletes, came as a surprise to winners. Each colour medal contains a different number of tiny balls, so the bronze makes a deep rattle, the silver a higher-pitched noise, and the gold the highest of all.

6. Natasha Baker

Britain’s Natasha Baker began crying at the salute in her gold medal-winning individual test, and never stopped. This was her London partner Cabral’s final championship and the 15-year-old had proved tricky in the first class of the week, after suffering stage fright in the huge Olympic stadium. But he was a different horse in the second test, and Natasha couldn’t thank her horse enough, “for allowing me to show the world what he can do”.

7. Sergio Oliva

Brazil haven’t won a Paralympic dressage medal since Beijing 2008, but Sergio Oliva delivered what the hoards of fans were hoping for here. The grade Ia rider almost disappeared under a crowd of Brazilian friends, family, media and other supporters after receiving the first of his two gold medals, for the individual championship, and the noisy celebrations continued into the evening.

8. Sophie Wells

For four years, Sophie Wells has been haunted by the memory of losing out on the grade IV individual gold medal in London. Here she achieved her dream with her own Valerius, a 14-year-old gelding she has trained herself for a decade. Seeing her wipe away the tears on the top of the podium, gazing down at the horse with whom she has shared such a journey, was enough to make everybody glad they were wearing sunglasses.

To read the full report from the Rio Paralympic dressage competition, don’t miss the next issue of Horse & Hound magazine, out tomorrow (22 September)

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Lee Pearson added another medal to Britain’s tally today, taking the silver in the grade Ib individual championship. He and Zion earned 74.1% with a smooth and very accurate performance to finish behind Austria’s Pepo Puch and Fontainenoir, on 75.1%.

“Sunday was just a bit too perfect,” reflected Lee, referring to his excellent plus-75% team test on day one of the competition. “I had to work harder today — he has so many gears in trot and I had to work harder to help him stay in the correct one.

“But I’m really proud of him to go in that lions’ den and come up with the goods and I’m over the moon with silver. I’m taking the best horse home, no matter what colour the medal.”

‘He was fighting so hard’

Pepo Puch bettered his individual bronze from London, at Fontainenoir’s first Paralympics. The Florencio I 11-year-old always produces pleasing tests but today’s was particularly relaxed and fluid. The former eventer was quite overcome by his horse’s performance, especially when he heard the result.

“He was fighting so hard and really on my side and helping me. He gave me everything and I am so proud of my Fondi.

“The only problem is with the positive feeling in the test comes emotion, and with emotion it is so much harder to control the movement of my body,” added the Austrian, who injured his spinal cord in a cross-country accident in 2008.

“We have been working so hard for four years — the first day after London was the first training day for Rio. We have so much support, but with that comes more pressure.”

Continued below…

Related articles:

British team and individual confirmed for Rio Paralympics

Victory for Lee Pearson on day one of the Paralympic dressage in Rio

Britain in gold medal position at halfway stage of the Paralympic dressage in Rio

Denmark’s Stinna Kaastrup was the last rider into the arena, shaking things up by sneaking ahead of the Netherlands’ Nicole den Dulk and snatching bronze with Smarties. The 22-year-old, for whom this was a first Paralympic medal, has only been competing the Gribaldi 15-year-old since January this year.

The day was not without drama as Canadian rider Ashley Gowanlock suffered a heavy fall from Di Scansano. The 15-year-old De Niro gelding took fright after the final salute of their 65.1% test, letting out a large buck and jumping out of the arena. Ashley, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was taken to hospital as a precaution but suffered no serious injuries.

With Lee competing as an individual, Britain still have three team riders to contest the individual championship tomorrow before the team medals are decided. Natasha Baker and Cabral will be in action in the grade II at 2.20pm BST, with Sophie Christiansen and Anne Dunham riding in the grade Ia at 7.55pm BST and 8.40pm BST respectively.

More information about how to follow the Paralympic dressage can be found here, and don’t forget to stay tuned to the H&H website for the latest news, results and scores.

 Don’t miss our full Paralympic report in the 22 September issue of H&H.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Italy’s Sara Morganti was left bitterly disappointed this morning after her grade Ia ride Royal Delight was not cleared to compete at the Rio Paralympics.

The 11-year-old mare was required to re-present this morning, after yesterday’s trot-up at the equestrian competition venue in Deodoro, but was not passed.

The four other horses reinspected this morning were all passed. They were Pepo Puch’s Fontainenoir (AUT) and Roldolpho Riskalla’s Warenne (BRA) as well as two Danish horses: Stinna Kaastrup’s Smarties and Caroline Nielsen’s Leon.

“Last night was pretty stressful after everything we’ve been through to come here,” said Rodolpho, who was very emotional when Warenne was finally cleared to compete. “This morning the stress just disappeared. It’s amazing to be here riding in this big stadium with so many people screaming and cheering.”

All five British horses passed the trot-up yesterday without problems. The ride of Belgium’s Michele George, Rainman, and Robyn Andrews’ Fanciana (CAN) were sent to the holding box, but later passed.

Sara would have been one of Sophie Christiansen and Anne Dunham’s biggest challengers in the grade Ia section, and her absence from competition will undoubtedly shake up the leaderboard. Sara, who used to showjump and event until progressive multiple sclerosis left her unable to walk, has been on a winning streak with Royal Delight since the 2015 Europeans.

Competition got underway this morning in Deodoro, with the grade III team test. Lee Pearson will be the first British rider in action, competing in the grade Ib team test at 6.18pm BST. Sophie Wells, Sophie Christiansen and Anne Dunham will ride tomorrow, while Natasha Baker will perform her team test on Tuesday.

More information about how to follow the Paralympic dressage can be found here, and don’t forget to stay tuned to the H&H website for the latest news, results and scores.

Don’t miss our full Paralympic report in the 22 September issue of H&H.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Natasha Baker (pictured) rode her third personal best of the Games to batter her opposition by a clear 5% in the grade II freestyle to music individual championship on Cabral while Lee Pearson had to settle for bronze in the grade Ib freestyle.

Natasha screamed and burst in to tears as the final competitor’s result – yet another that couldn’t get near her – was announced and her second gold of these Games was a reality.

“Watching Lee at the Sydney Games was a massive inspiration for me,” she said. “Seeing the relationship that he had with his horse and then going out and getting the golds was great.”

Natasha dedicated her performance to the late Ken Barnsely, who originally composed the music for her three years ago but died in April last year.

The world is not enough

In the afternoon’s grade Ib freestyle, Lee Pearson’s James Bond themed performance took him to the top of the leaderboard with just two riders left to go in the class.

But both Austrian Pepo Puch and blind Finn Katja Karjalainen bettered his score, leaving Lee with the first bronze of his long Paralympic career.

Lee explained that Gentleman is not used to such an intensive schedule of competition and had “struggled physically” this week.

“I was over the moon with the test,” he added. “Neither me nor Gentleman could have done any more.”

Pepo Puch, who competed in able-bodied eventing at the Olympics eight years ago before an accident in which he broke his neck in 2008, was thrilled with his gold medal. He dedicated it to his mother-in-law, who died on Friday.

For a full report see Horse & Hound magazine

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