The U.S. moved up from fourth on the first day of team competition to reach the podium today for its first Paralympic team medal, taking the bronze in “a nailbiter to the absolute end” on a score of 224.352, behind gold medal Great Britain( 229.905) and the Netherlands (229.249).
Britain kept its unbeaten streak, having won gold at every Paralympic Games since they began running in conjunction with the Olympics in Atlanta a quarter-century ago.
After the USA’s Roxie Trunnell on Dolton earned 80.321 percent and Becca Hart with Rowan O’Reilly’s El Corona Texel got 72.206 yesterday, it was up to Kate Shoemaker today to clinch a medal with Solitaer, who recovered from a broken coffin bone earlier in his career.
And she did it, even with being in “a little bit of a tough spot” having to go first in the order at the Baji Koen Equestrian Center. Riding first, it turned out, was as difficult as waiting until everyone else finished to see how the medals came out.
“I think it might have been the best test he’s ever done,” said Kate about her mount, owned by herself with Deena and Craig Shoemaker. She acknowledged there were “little bobbles here and there,” but pointed out, “the overall way of going I was incredibly happy with.”
Kate Shoemaker thanks Solitaer for a job well done. (Photo Taylor Pence/USEF)
Her score of 71.825 percent gave the U.S. the edge it needed over Denmark to make history by the tiniest of margins, 0.028 percent.
“It was such an amazing competition, it was so close, oh gosh, it was a nailbiter to the absolute end,” said Becca.
“I’m so incredibly blessed and happy to be standing here with these two amazing riders. It was a complete and total team effort and for all of the people all of our support and grooms and everyone behind the scenes that make all of this happen, to be able to finally after so many years get to stand on the podium as a country, it’s so fulfilling. A lifelong dream has just come true.
Today, Kate changed her tactics from the way she rode in her initial test of the competition.
“We tried for a more elastic, forward-moving way the first night and the judges said,`No, please don’t do that,’ so we went for collection and balance…today. I think we showed the potential we had.”
She was loving simply being part of the Paralympics as much as standing on the podium.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to be here with my teammates, it’s just irreplaceable,” she said.
Roxie Trunnell, Kate Shoemaker, Becca Hart. (Photo Taylor Pence/USEF)
Roxie’s Grade I score was the highest of any rider in the team competition (the only one to break 80 percent), and Grade IV rider Kate had a role in the roots of that success. (What grade a rider is classified in is determined by the level of their impairment.)
Kate, who deals with motor control dysfunction, had been riding Dolton, owned by Karen Flint and Flintwoode Farm. But when coach Michel Assouline thought the horse would be better in Grade I–where his fabulous walk would carry the day–Kate gave up the ride to Roxie.
Formerly an able-bodied rider, Roxie had a stroke after catching a virus, but she was still determined to continue her equestrian involvement.
Both riders earned bronze at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, which set them up for their achievements in Tokyo, where Roxie also won gold in her first test last week.
Roxie and Kate compete in the musical freestyle tomorrow, where they will be joined by teammate Beatrice de Lavallette on Clarc.
This was the fourth Paralympics for Becca, a Grade III rider who has a rare genetic disease that causes muscle wasting and paralysis.
“It was such an amazing competition,” enthused Becca. “It was so close, oh my gosh, it was a nailbiter to the absolute end. I’m so incredibly blessed and happy to be standing here with these two amazing riders.
“It was a complete and total team effort and for all of the people all of our support and grooms and everyone behind the scenes that make all of this happen. To be able to finally after so many years get to stand on that podium as a country, it’s so fulfilling. A lifelong dream has just come true.”
Coach Michel noted, “I came with a mission to lead these wonderful athletes to the Paralympic podium. I just didn’t know it would happen in a relatively short spell but with such amazing overall support and talent the dream became true.
“We will continue to deliver our best tomorrow on the final day of competition here and will immediately start looking ahead to the World Championships next year and Paris 2024 (Olympics) so we can continue to deliver success for this program and team.”
The Brits also had their own nailbiter, besting the World and European Champion Dutch by 0.656 percent. It was a touching moment during the medal presentation when Sophie Wells put the gold medal around the neck of her teammate, Sir Lee Pearson, as he claimed his 13th Para gold.
“I don’t think any of us expected that in a million years,” said team member Natasha Baker after the medal ceremony.
“We’re just so exceptionally proud of everything that our horses have done over the last few days – the way they’ve dealt with it so well and been such professionals. We were hoping to come and challenge for a bronze medal, that’s all. It’s unbelievable when you think what we’ve been through these last few weeks – one of our horses is a reserve!”
As Lee noted, “We don’t have a horse on the team who’s done a championship before and two have never even been abroad. We didn’t think we would win gold and weren’t expected to. The team behind the scenes have been incredible, we couldn’t have done it without them. To even get us here is amazing, and to keep me under control, too. To be here, to compete and do as well as we have is a fairy tale.”