Georgia Wilson

For Georgia Wilson, it was another two medals to add to her Tokyo tally as she upped her bronze in 2021 to a silver in the Grade II individual freestyle before winning bronze in the grade V individual test.

Georgia started riding when she was two years old after her physio suggested that it would help with her balance. Her first pony was a Shetland called Diana, who was followed by a pony called Poppy. Georgia joined the Pony Club and the Riding for the Disabled Association at Clwyd SRC, attending her first RDA nationals on Aaron, a palomino pony. It was here that she got the bug for dressage, and she also competed with the BYRDs Wales team.

Georgia’s first senior call-up was for the 2019 FEI European Championship , where she rode Midnight. She took individual silver and helped the British team to another silver, before storming to gold in the freestyle ahead of the reigning Paralympic champion, Pepo Puch of Austria. Initially selected as a reserve for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with new ride Sakura, the late withdrawal of Sophie Christiansen saw Georgia earn herself a seat on the plane to her first Games. She proved herself worthy of the occasion by taking double bronze.

When she came home from Tokyo, Georgia’s village threw a celebratory party on the green for her and Sakura.

Following the Games, Georgia and Sakura continued to strengthen their partnership and headed to Herning for their first World Championship in 2022 on the back of two new personal bests from Wellington Festival of Para Dressage in June and Hartpury CPEDI3* in July. They came home with a bronze in the freestyle.

Since Herning, Georgia and Sakura haven’t finished off the podium in any of their international starts. In 2023, a call-up came for the FEI Para Dressage European Championship in Riesenbeck, where they earned themselves team bronze, individual silver and freestyle silver.

Georgia’s French bulldog, Billy, is never far from her side – although he’s not popular in the lorry when they’re away at shows because he snores so loudly! Her family has a farm in Wales, which is also home to several more dogs, Georgia’s string of horses and some very naughty sheep.