Sophie Wells

Sophie Wells is one of Britain’s most successful para dressage riders. 

She is a Paralympic, World and European gold medallist and is reigning grade V world champion with C Fatal Attraction (“Jorge”).

Sophie Wells takes freestyle gold in grade V at WEG 2018.

Sophie, who hails from Harby in Lincolnshire, has ridden for Britain on both para and able-bodied teams, representing her country at two young rider European Championships in able-bodied dressage alongside her achievements at para senior championships. She has won national titles in para and able-bodied dressage and competes up to grand prix level.

Sophie was born in 1990 with amniotic band syndrome, which is a congenital condition caused by the entrapment of foetal parts in fibrous amniotic bands while in the womb.  Sophie’s case resulted in loss, and partial loss, of fingers on both hands. Surgeons managed to move the bands around her legs, saving her feet, but the condition did leave her with loss of sensation below the scars and nerve issues as she grew.

Her love of riding started when she sat on a pony at a friend’s birthday party and she then started having lessons at her local riding school. Sophie’s para dressage journey started with a conversation with David Hamer, at an under-21 talent spotting day in 2003. He suggested Sophie look into para classification, which she did and has gone on to achieve top-level success at both able-bodied and para dressage.

In 2012, Sophie was part of the gold medal winning side at the London Paralympic Games with Pinocchio, where she took two individual silver medals, and capped the year with an MBE in the 2012 New Year Honours list. She followed this with team and individual gold, plus freestyle silver, at Rio 2016.

Sophie Wells at Tokyo 2020

Tokyo will be Sophie’s third Paralympics. She had three horses on the nominated entries – “Jorge”, Don Cara M and Classic Jillz Geuzenhof. Sophie was named on the British squad for Tokyo aboard Jorge, with Don Cara M as reserve.