Medal-winning Olympic and Paralympic riders join celebration parade
More than a million sports fans lined the streets of London yesterday (Monday 10 September) to celebrate the success of the British Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
And Team GB’s medal-winning Olympic and Paralympic riders were among the 800 athletes taking part in a victory parade through central London.
Twenty-one floats set off from Mansion House and ended up at Buckingham Palace.
The silver medal winning eventing team – Zara Phillips, Mary King, Nicola Wilson, Tina Cook and William Fox-Pitt – were all there as were the gold-meal winning dressage team – Charlotte Dujardin, Carl Hester and Laura Betcholsheimer, and team gold showjumping winner Nick Skelton. And medal winning paras Lee Pearson, Natasha Baker, Deb Criddle, Sophie Wells and Sophie Christiansen also took part.
Ben Maher and Scott Brash tried to make it but their flights were not on time and Peter Charles has injured his leg.
Our riders shared a float with bronze medal-winning diver Tom Daley.
“It was a fitting finale to an Olympic and Paralympic Games that has exceeded all expectations for equestrian sport,” said a spokesman for the British Equestrian Federation.
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“The support from the British public, the Games Makers and our armed forces throughout the last few weeks has been empowering and undoubtedly helped to carry our athletes to their successes. Yesterday the crowds were out in force again in a glorious celebration of Team GB’s achievements; the collective pride and enthusiasm is awe inspiring – the atmosphere this Games has forged is one that we will never forget.”
“Never in my life felt the passion of so many people for our Olympic teams – amazing day on the float!,” said Carl Hester.
While Natasha Baker tweeted: “Police escort through London to go to the Hero’s Parade… Feel like a celeb!! So amazing! Don’t want the Games to end!”
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.