Para Dressage
Britain's Gabriella Blake has retired her 17-year-old part-bred Connemara gelding, Strong Beau, following an eight-year competitive partnership. The duo secured individual Grade I bronze and contributed to a team bronze at the 2023 European Dressage Championships. Blake described the horse as her 'unicorn' and best friend.
Ti AI ṣe iroyin
Following her return home in December 2025 after a serious fall in August 2024, Olympic event rider Liz Halliday has been officially classified as an FEI grade II para dressage competitor. She received her grading at TerraNova in Florida last week and plans to return to competition later this year.
Ahead of the 2026 World Championships in Aachen, British Paralympic and European para dressage medallists have called for increased awareness and spectatorship to highlight the sport as an elite discipline. Riders like Mari Durward-Akhurst and Sophie Wells emphasise the need for better visibility to inspire others and address challenges such as low entries. British Dressage affirms its commitment to promoting para events equally with able-bodied competitions.