Final US rider puts team on target to take medal – can Britain hold on to gold?

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The USA's Solitaer 40 and Kate Shoemaker in the Paralympics Dressage in Tokyo
The USA's Kate Shoemaker shows her delight with Solitaer 40 after their grade IV test.
(Image credit: OIS/Joe Toth)

Grade IV rider Kate Shoemaker consolidated the US team’s bid for a place on the podium at the Tokyo Paralympics dressage. They are currently in silver behind Team GB after three riders have gone for both countries. Kate rode the 14-year-old Solitaer 40 (Sandro Hit x De Niro) to score 71.9% at the start of the final rider rotation.

“That might be the best test he’s ever done,” said Kate. “I’m so, so happy. There were little bobbles here and there, but I was so happy with the overall way of going. But I am a little disappointed in the score.”

Martha Terry
Martha Terry
Features editor

Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.