The art of Paralympic equestrian pairing and finding adaptable "dance partners"
On September 3rd, exactly 9 years after Roberta Sheffield's opening match at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, this Canadian disabled equestrian rider stood on a rural field and strafed a group of horses.
When the animals ran away from her, one of them made her heart skip a beat.
I found her in a field of about 100 other horses, and I bought her and her sister for almost a buy one get one free deal, "Sheffield told Olympiacs.com. From a group of unprocessed, untouched horses. 'She had no name, and I really had to stand in the field when they rushed past us,' I'll get that and that '.
It has been proven that this is a perfect match.
15-year-old mare Fairuza, also known as Wonky, led Sheffield to their best ever result in three Paralympic Games - sixth place in individual events - level two - without scaring the audience or the magnificent backdrop of the Palace of Versailles.
I have such a special relationship with that horse that when we step onto the beach, we almost feel like gladiators, fighting against the world together, "Sheffield said. "We are together in this foam. We are accepting the challenge of performing the dressage test. Nothing else matters. It is this wonderful feeling of cooperation.
Apart from Wonky's gladiator attitude and capable running, Sheffield values her horse's adaptability to disabilities the most. This is the love and gratitude shared by other disabled equestrian riders when talking about their horse companions.
Olympiacs.com spoke with several Paralympic athletes to understand what love at first sight looks like from an equestrian perspective, how riders teach their horses to adapt to their respective riding techniques, and why horses are the best friends on bad days.