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‘Hopefully I’ll do both’: British para rider and new Grade IV national champion aiming to compete at inter I

Bethany Stone Bethany Stone

    • “It takes a special horse to adapt from able-bodied competition to para dressage.”

    Those were the words of Fiona Maynard, newly crowned grade IV grand prix champion at the LeMieux National Dressage Championships 2024.

    Despite an “accidental canter” in the medium trot, the World Class Programme para rider’s winning margin on her own Denver IX was more than one percent.

    National Dressage Championships: what’s next for Fiona?

    Fiona – who has a visual impairment – has her friend Emma Payne call for her during her tests. This, she says, was the biggest adjustment for the 2011 Dresemann gelding.

    “That was the hardest thing for Denver to get used to. He was obviously an able-bodied horse before he came to me,” remarks Fiona. “Initially, in the first few tests, he would halt next to Emma and look at her as if to say: ‘What are you doing in my arena?’

    “He’s got a great sense of humour and a good personality, so takes it all in his stride.

    “Now he’s got used to someone yelling while he’s doing his test. We do need to sort a few bits out in the calling so I don’t run Emma over, though!”

    Though the “laid back” gelding has adjusted well to para dressage, Fiona also has impressive plans for able-bodied classes, too. She’s made her able-bodied debut at prix st georges earlier this year and plans to step up to inter I in the near future.

    She says: “I’m learning a lot with Denver. I want to do some more prix st georges with him over the winter. We’ve got the CPEDI3* at Wellington soon, which will be fantastic. But the able-bodied inter I is what I want to do. Hopefully we’ll be back another year to do both!”

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