Paralympic dressage: Rixt van der Horst leads grade III individual

Rixt van der Horst and Findsley have withdrawn from the Tokyo Paralypmic freestyle finale — Netherland's Rixt van der Horst riding Findsley competes in the Dressage Individual test - Grade Three at the Equestrian Park during day three of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in Japan. Picture date: Friday August 27, 2021.

(Image credit: PA)

Dutch rider Rixt van der Horst has opened her bid to become the Paralympic dressage grade III champion at the Tokyo Games.

She and her world champion mare Findsley produced a very smart test to earn 75.76% and take an early lead in the grade III individual class, the final of the individual competitions at these Paralympics.

Rixt faces a long wait until the end of this big class to find out if she will reach the podium at what is her first Paralympic Games. She would certainly have started the class as one of the favourites, but with the likes of Britain’s Natasha Baker, Denmark’s Tobias Thorning Jorgensen, Germany’s Steffen Zeibig and the USA’s Rebecca Hart yet to come, there is plenty of potential for Rixt’s dominance to be challenged.

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TOPICS

Dutch star sets high standard in grade III individual with Britain’s Natasha Baker still to ride

Britain’s Natasha will ride Keystone Dawn Chorus at 8.36pm (12.36pm UK time), aiming to add to her haul of Paralympic dressage medals. This is however the Dimaggio mare’s first championship.

Currently holding the silver medal position at the midway point is France’s Chiara Zenati with Swing Royal on a score of 71.06%. Just behind her in the provisional bronze medal spot is Belgium’s Belgium Minneci with Stuart, who posted 70.85%.

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