The team line-up for the dressage at this summer’s Paralympics has been confirmed.
As well as Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany, who secured their tickets to Tokyo at the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG), the US, Italy, Sweden, Canada, Singapore, Denmark, Belgium, Australia and Austria will be competing. These places were on offer to the top seven FEI-ranked nations, apart from the three that qualified at WEG, and the top countries in Asia, Oceania and the Americas.
Host nation Japan will also field a team and while Russia has qualified, its participation is yet to be confirmed. Each country may send up to four riders to Tokyo.
Team Canada coach and chef d’equipe Clive Milkins said: “Team Canada is delighted to have secured a team slot for Tokyo.
“It is a recognition of the determination hard work, committed effort and motivation from all our grooms, athletes and coaches from grass roots to international level. The hard works starts now.”
Britain will be doing all possible to retain their title, having won at every Paralympics since dressage was introduced in 1996. But they will face tough competition, from world leaders the US, European and World champions the Netherlands and a host of other strong contenders.
The format changes will also create interest in Tokyo.
“The team medal will now be decided over two days by just three riders per country (it used to be four),” explained an FEI spokesman. “Not only that, the three competing riders won’t be chosen until the Games themselves, on completion of the individual titles on the first two days of competition.”
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Other nations have gained slots for individual riders: South Africa, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Latvia, Brazil, Norway, Finland, and Mexico will all be represented. More individual places will be confirmed this year.
The para dressage competition runs from Thursday to Monday, 27 to 31 August. Individual medals will be decided on the first two days, the team competition takes place on the Saturday and Sunday, and all five grades’ freestyle titles will be decided on the Monday.
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