Emma Booth and Zidane. © Jon Stroud Media

Para Equestrian fab four win hearts at Tokyo

By Adele Severs

Reaching the Paralympics is always an immense achievement. For the Australian team competing at Tokyo, this year’s belated Games brought debuts and farewells — and with them, myriad emotions.

Australia’s Para Equestrian team has completed their final tests in Tokyo, and after what must have seemed like a marathon campaign, they are now heading home. Emma Booth, Amelia White, Sharon Jarvis and Victoria Davies produced stunning performances throughout the Games, and although there were no medals, we couldn’t be more proud of them and their equine partners. Here, we reflect on four special moments from the Games.

Final curtain call for Zidane the Wonder Horse

For Emma Booth and Zidane, the final halt in the Grade III Freestyle marked the end of a wonderful career; the 19-year-old Dutch Warmblood has been a mainstay of the Australian para equestrian scene for many years, and together he and Emma have achieved some extraordinary results. 

The pair are the only Australian combination to have competed at two Paralympic Games — first Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and now Tokyo. At Rio, their best result came in the Individual Test where they finished in fifth place, less than 1% off a bronze medal. Following Rio, Emma had her sights set on the 2018 World Equestrian Games and 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, however, the road to these Championships was anything but straightforward...

Read the full article in the September issue of Equestrian Life magazine here.