‘I can’t describe this feeling’: Georgia Wilson wins a spectacular silver at Paris 2024
Georgia Wilson and Sakura (“Suki”) have won a spectacular silver in the grade II freestyle on 79.37% at the Paris Paralympics – matching the personal best she set at last summer’s European Championships.
After the disappointment of finishing outside the medals in the team competition yesterday, the British riders have all been in fantastic form so far on freestyle day.
Sophie Wells and LJT Ebdegaards Samoa won bronze in the grade V this morning, before Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg later climbed three places from their individual test to win bronze in the grade I freestyle.
“It’s been amazing,” Georgia said. “I was nervous because of the long wait before my test but I knew we’ve done it before lots of times, and that if I tried my best we could get a good score, and I think we’ve done that.
“She tried her heart out and I can’t thank Suki enough. Mum and dad sold their motorhome – which was their retirement present – for Suki, but I don’t think they’ll miss the motorhome too much now!”
Georgia has won three bronze medals previously, so silver here was her best-ever finish at a Paralympics.
Like Mari earlier in the day, Georgia had to wait and watch the riders to come after her on the screens in the mixed zone.
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Among them were the USA’s Fiona Howard on Diamond Dunes and Denmark’s Katrine Kristensen on Goerklintgaards Quater, who both finished ahead of Georgia in the individual test.
Both were remarkable, big-moving horses – testament to the horsepower which has been brought into para dressage, and quite a contrast to the more compact Sakura. However, a mistake by Katrine in the medium trot meant she finished outside the podium places in fourth on 75.69%.
“I can’t describe the feeling,” Georgia said, once she’d realised she’d won silver. “It’s a dream come true – to break out of the bronzes and to bring a silver back home to Wales is incredible.
“All the training that goes into it and to pull it off when it’s most important doesn’t happen often, and I think we’ve all done ourselves proud so far – we’re still fighting and we’ll come back even stronger.”
Fiona won her third gold medal of the competition on 81.99% – which means all three of her medals have been won with personal best scores.
“The third day I always have to dig a little deep because by that point my muscles are definitely tired,” Fiona explained. “But I have such a great partner in Diamond Dunes, and he went out there and gave me everything and whatever the results had been, I would’ve been so proud of him.”
Natasha Baker and Dawn Chorus will be last-to-go for the Brits, who’ll be hoping the medals keep rolling in.
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Oscar joined Horse & Hound in October 2023 and is the magazine’s dressage editor and sports manager, overseeing coverage of equestrian sport. After studying equine science at Myerscough College, he spent four years working for leading dressage rider Emile Faurie, competing at the 2015 National Dressage Championships and travelling with the yard to CDIs including Aachen and Saumur. He holds a master’s degree in Literature from York St John University (2021).