Horse Illustrated Magazine

The Paris 2024 Paralympic para dressage competition continued today with Grades IV and V vying for individual medals. Going third from last in the Grade IV competition, the USA’s Kate Shoemaker and Vianne presented a lovely picture as they flowed through their test.

A very uncharacteristic spook by Vianne caused a momentary issue in the canter work in a movement that counts for a double score. But overall during their test, they earned mostly 7s and 8s to finish on a score of 72.222% for 5th place individually. The pair is qualified to move on to the Grade IV freestyle competition on Saturday, September 7 where they will ride to the soundtrack from Forrest Gump.

Vianne is an 8-year-old American-bred Hanoverian mare (bred by Catherine Haddad) by Vitalis, out of a mare by Ramiro’s Bube. She is owned by Nocordia USA and cared for by Katherine Barrett. Shoemaker has only been competing with the mare since early this year.

For more coverage, visit our Paris 2024 Paralympics main page.

Thirteen nations were represented by 15 riders in the Grade IV Individual Tests today. There were two riders each from the Netherlands and France, and one each from Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden, the Republic of Saudi Arabia, and the USA.

Two riders from the Netherlands topped the individual medals today in Grade IV division, Demi Haerkens and Daula, gold, 78.722%, and Sanne Voets and Demantur, silver, 76.528%. Germany’s Anna-Lena Niehues and Quimbaya 6 won bronze (75.222%). French rider Vladimir Vinchon and Pegase Mayenne finished to thunderous applause from the full stands in the stadium to take fourth place (72.889%).

Grade V individual tests are currently ongoing and should finish up at around 3:35 p.m. Central European Time today (9:35 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time), followed by medal ceremonies for both grades.

View the full Grade IV results here.

Tomorrow, Thursday, September 5, is a day off for the para dressage competitors. The top eight horses in each of the five grades will return on Saturday, September 7, to contest for individual freestyle medals.

However, the Team Tests come first on Friday, September 6. Now that the individual tests are finished, countries which have sent the maximum allowed four qualified riders must narrow the number to three by choosing who will represent their nation in those Team Tests (FEI Grand Prix Test B). Stay tuned to our Paris 2024 Paralympics main page for the announcement of which three U.S. riders will compete for America on Friday.

Watch all of the Paris 2024 para equestrian action livestreamed or played back on demand (subscription required). For more information, go to NBCOlympics.com.

Thanks to CareCredit for our spring and summer equestrian coverage.