Baker hails 'practically perfect' horse after bronze

Natasha Baker hailed her ‘practically perfect’ horse after winning para dressage bronze just one year after giving birth to her son.

Being selected for Paris 2024 came as an emotional surprise to Barker following a 20-month absence from the sport after giving birth so her first child Joshua.

But on a day that welcomed two bronzes for ParalympicsGB dressage team, with Georgia Wilson following with grade two bronze later, Baker was over-the-moon to reach the grade three podium and win her ninth Paralympic medal in Paris.

“I’m really pleased, I just wanted a relaxed test,” she said.

“I had a baby so I’ve missed 20 months of the three years between Tokyo and now.

“As I went in I started to well up and I just needed to put it out of my mind and get on with the job in hand.

“It’s amazing to think this time last year I wasn’t even riding - I’d just had him and over the winter if you’d told me I’d get selected for these Games I’d say you were lying. It just didn’t feel possible.”

Baker scored 73.167 per cent and progressed to the Individual Freestyle Event as the USA’s Rebecca Hart took gold and Netherland’s Rixt van der Horst silver.

Bronze came in the most delightful way for Baker, who thanked her own personal Mary Poppins in horse Dawn Chorus for getting her back onto the Paralympic podium in Paris.

“She was amazing and I trust her with my life and we have the most amazing relationship,” she added.

“She’s just incredible, I call her Mary Poppins as she’s practically perfect in every way.”

Hours later, Wilson equalled her Tokyo 2020 result with individual grade two bronze.

The 28-year-old was thrilled to reach the podium once more in such a competitive field, scoring 73.414 percent on horse Sakura.

The USA’s Fiona Howard took gold with Denmark’s Katrine Kristensen clinching silver.

“I’m over the moon,” said Wilson. “I knew who I was competing against and there are three or four really good ones so I didn’t know where I was going to come so to get a medal is amazing.

“The competition is really high which is exciting.”

And with the rain subsiding in time for her competition, it was a confident ride for Wilson who now has three Paralympic medals to her name.

“It was a really good ride today,” she added. “Sakura loves an atmosphere and I had that confidence going the arena.

“I’m very glad not to be riding in the rain as well. I came to watch Natasha and had to dive back into the car. It’s not too hot and not too cold now though so it was the perfect weather for me.”

Mari Durward-Akehurst finished sixth on her Paralympic debut. The grade one athlete scored 71.792 on horse Athene Lindebjerg to qualify for the individual freestyle event later in the week.