Harby athlete named in ParalympicsGB para equestrian squad for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
ParalympicsGB has confirmed the four para equestrian athlete and horse combinations set to compete at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The all-female squad features three medal-winning combinations from Tokyo 2020, in addition to the current para dressage world number one, who will be making her Paralympic Games debut.
One of the athletes named is 34-year-old Sophie Wells (Grade 5), from Harby, who will be competing at her fourth games with Rowland Kinch’s Don Cara M (dark bay, gelding, 15yrs, 16.3hh, Don Jovi x Rafurstinels, Breeder: H. M. Melis NED).
She took three golds and three silvers across London 2012 and Rio 2016, followed by team gold and individual silver at Tokyo 2020 with new ride Don Cara M, and has represented ParalympicsGB at every Paralympic Games, World Championship and European Championship since 2011.
The para equestrian competition will take place from September 3 to 7 in the scenic grounds of the Château de Versailles, just outside of Paris.
Wells said that she was “thrilled” to be selected for her fourth Paralympic Games:
“It still feels surreal when we get to this point,” she said, “I’ve been so proud of my horse, Don Cara M, throughout his selection campaign this year and am very grateful to his owner, Rowland Kinch. It’s starting to feel much more real now as we head into the final preparations for the Games.”
Wells will be competing with team-mates Mari Durward-Akhurst (Grade 1) from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, Georgia Wilson (Grade 2) from Abergele, North Wales, and Natasha Baker (Grade 3) from Uxbridge, Middlesex.
While all four combinations will compete for individual honours, three of the team will also be selected to contest the team competition. The decision on this will be made before the start of competition in Paris.
Para equestrian’s Team Leader, Georgina Sharples, who is leading the squad for her second Games, commented: “It’s been a very strong campaign for all the British combinations aiming for the Games this year and they certainly didn’t make this an easy decision for the selection panel.
“However, I must offer my congratulations to Mari, Georgia, Natasha and Sophie for being the chosen four and the achievements that lead them to this point.
“There’s a great balance of experience and potential between our four athletes, and I look forward to seeing what they can achieve when we reach Versailles. The competition from other nations has never been fiercer, but we go to Paris with every intention of challenging for podium placings and hopefully we can do everyone proud.
“None of this would have been possible without the support of our horse owners and the athletes’ home teams, who play such a vital role in our quest for success on the world’s biggest sporting stage.”
A total of around 220 athletes from 19 sports are expected to make up the British team that will compete in Paris. At Tokyo 2020, ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports – the highest number of any nation ever. ParalympicsGB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.
