Equestrian is a multi-disability sport. It is a unique competition in that men and women compete on the same terms and both horse and rider are declared medal winners. All riders are grouped according to their functional profiles and they are judged on their ability to control and maneuver the horses. Riders unable to give signals to the horse with their legs are required to develop creative ways to communicate with the horse such as utilising a dressage whip or other aid.
Riders compete only in individual and team dressage. They perform individually and must ride a pattern which includes various changes in pace and direction. Events are mixed and grouped according to their functional profiles.
Riders compete in two dressage events: a Championship Test of set movements and a Freestyle Test to music. There is also a Team Test for three to four riders per team. Competitors are judged on their display of horsemanship skills as they ride their horses using a series of commands for walk, trot and canter. Riders may use permitted assistive devices such as dressage crops, a connecting rein bar, and rubber bands.
Since 2006, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has been the governing body, with Equine Canada as the national sport federation.
Classification
The Paralympic Equestrian competition is open to athletes with visual impairment, cerebral palsy, amputation or les autres, as outlined below:
Grade I: Wheelchair users with poor trunk balance and/or impairment of function in all four limbs or no trunk balance and good upper limb function.
Grade II: Wheelchair users, or those with severe locomotive impairment involving the trunk, and with mild to good upper limb function, or severe unilateral impairment.
Grade III: Blind athletes able to walk without support, with moderate unilateral impairment, moderate impairment in four limbs or severe arm impairment. These riders may require a wheelchair for longer distances or due to lack of stamina.
Grade IV: Impairment in one or two limbs or some degree of visual impairment.
The classification also takes account of a weighting system for the body areas most important for riding.
History
The first major international dressage competition for riders with physical disabilities came in 1984 at the World Games in New York. The Equestrian competition made its Paralympic debut appearance at the 1996 Atlanta Games, with riders from 16 countries participating. Canada did not qualify a team at the 1999 World Championships in Denmark, but 24 other equestrian nations entered 72 riders in the Sydney Paralympics Games in 2000. Twenty-nine teams competed in the 2004 Athens Games. This grew to xx teams in Beijing in 2008.
Prior to the 2006 Athens Games, Paralympic athletes competed on borrowed horses. They can now compete on their own horses.
