Triple gold medallist, Charlotte Dujardin OBE, and double gold medallist, Nick Skelton OBE, will lead the way in a parade to hail the fantastic achievements of the GBR Equestrian Team. Charlotte will be joined by her Dressage teammates, Carl Hester MBE, Spencer Wilton and Fiona Bigwood, who together claimed Team silver.
The parade comes at the end of what will be an emotional week for Charlotte, who will be retiring her gold medal winning ride Valegro on Wednesday 14 December in front of a sell-out crowd following the FEI World Cup™ Freestyle competition.
Great Britain’s equestrian Paralympians won a phenomenal 11 medals in Rio, seven of which were gold, including an 11th gold for Paralympics GB’s Rio flag bearer, Lee Pearson CBE, who has now won gold medals in each of his five Paralympic Games.
Lee will be commemorating his achievements on the night alongside three-time Rio gold medallist Sophie Christiansen OBE and her victorious Dressage mixed teammates Sophie Wells MBE and Anne Dunham MBE, who alongside Natasha Baker retained the team title, making them unbeaten at Paralmypic, European and World level.
The unmounted parade will be a chance for fans to reminisce about the inspirational performances from Rio, which not only captured the spirit of the Games but also produced breath taking rides to bring home the medals. It is set to be a highly emotional occasion as the equestrian heroes of 2016 are celebrated in true Olympia style.
Show Director, Simon Brooks-Ward commented, “We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming such an exceptional group of riders to the Olympia Grand Hall and it will be a privilege to be able to applaud their exceptional achievements at the Show.”
Also taking part in the parade will be members of the Equestrian performance team and the owners of the medalling horses, ensuring that the event is a full celebration of the accomplishments of the Team and their associates, without whom it would not be possible.
Chief Executive of the British Equestrian Federation Clare Salmon says: “We are delighted to be able to recognise the fantastic achievements of our athletes in Rio at Olympia this year. It has been a great year for equestrian sport and what better way to celebrate than to share the moment with some of our fantastic supporters.”
