A thrilling showdown

Britain will face their most serious challenge yet in Paralympic history, says Lucy Elder, but field an experienced team capable of gold

- Lucy Elder

TOKYO is playing out to be the closest Games in history for a blistering 25th anniversary year of dressage at the Paralympics.Britain’s golden grip on the sport has eased in recent Games, as the balance of power shifts with the growing strength in depth of talent and horses in other nations.

We know the Netherlands are strong – it was the Dutch that ended the British team’s unbeaten streak at the senior championships at the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG), followed up by a second victory at the 2019 Europeans. Three combinations that were on those gold medal-winning teams are on the Netherlands’ Tokyo squad.

But the Dutch are not alone, as Britain faces a multi-pronged challenge from a number of nations, each hungry for Paralympic golden glory. A total of 78 competitors from 27 nations, including 16 teams, will be chasing medals.

The US is tipped to set a new world order, spearheaded by multiple record-breakers Roxanne Trunnell and Dolton. The world number one is joined by a strong squad, under the guidance of coach Michel Assouline, who led Britain to victory for 12 years before his move to the US in 2017.