Champions
Rihards Snikus won Latvia’s first equestrian Paralympic gold medal with King Of The Dance, in the individual grade I. The part-time DJ and the appropriately named 16-year-old scored 79.18% to stand on top of the podium. Rihards, who is also a DJ, and King Of The Dance have been together for eight years. “It was a really beautiful performance,” said Darja Tihomriova on behalf of Rihards. “We were worried about the technical elements, but I think it was one of their best performances, and a great result.”
An emotional debut
Britain’s Mari Durward-Akhurst qualified for the freestyle on her Paralympic debut, scoring 71.79% to finish sixth with Athene Lindebjerg in the grade I individual test in Versailles. “It was a lot of pressure,” the world number one said. “This morning was a nightmare, I was getting myself in a bit of a state, trying to find things to do to keep myself occupied. But once I got on her and she went into that arena I just knew she was going to look after me. I was trying to hold back the tears when I went into the arena, it was just incredible.”
Burghley
The Defender Burghley Horse Trials dressage starts tomorrow (5 September) with its usual stellar line-up of equine and human stars. If you’re not planning to travel to the event but still want to keep up with all the action, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide on how you can watch, plus who will be commentating, and how to follow all the news as it happens with H&H.
- To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Paralympic Games, Burghley, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website
You might also be interested in:
Part-time DJ riding horse called King Of The Dance wins historic gold medal at Paris 2024
How to watch Burghley Horse Trials live in 2024: your complete guide
‘I was trying to hold back the tears’: Mari Durward-Akhurst makes her emotional Paralympics debut
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