The Netherlands’ Demi Haerkens confirmed her status as a rising Para Dressage star after claiming Grade IV gold with Daula during her Paralympic debut on the second day of Individual medal events at 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
“It feels amazing,” said Haerkens after waiting for 11 other combinations to go before her gold medal was confirmed. “Daula really deserved this gold. She was a superstar today. We have been together for three years now and every year our bond grows.”
The 26-year-old, who came to the fore by winning the European Championship gold last year, excelled in Versailles’ sunlit arena to finish with a score of 78.722%.
“It was such a lovely ride. She was so focused, with such lovely quality and softness. We didn’t make any mistakes,” Haerkens said. “She was with me and dancing with a lot of quality. She was amazing. Now I want to go to the stable and give her big cuddles.”
Defending champion Sanne Voets, also from the Netherlands, partnered again with Demantur after the pair won double gold and a team silver at Tokyo 2020. This Paralympics, they settled for silver with 76.528%, which bumped Voets’ overall Paralympic medal tally up to five.
The top medal placings lifted the Netherlands into second place on the Para Dressage medal table at Paris 2024 with a gold and two silvers, behind the U.S. on two golds and a silver.
Voets, 37, said a tour of the royal stables at the Château de Versailles last year resonated with her as she prepared for a fourth Paralympic Games.
“They showed me how they still work with the horses every day with such a beautiful motto,” she said. “They work with the belief that our horses don’t owe us anything and that they are not an instrument for us to reach our goals and ambitions. Instead, we are an instrument for our horses to develop into beautiful, strong, healthy, happy athletes.”
Unfortunate Moment for Shoemaker
World number-one Kate Shoemaker of the U.S. finished out of the medals in fifth place after her horse Vianne spooked during their performance.
“Something must have caught her eye, because it was the first spook she’s ever had with me. It was just an unfortunate moment,” Shoemaker said. “But horses are horses, and if we wanted to ride motorcycles, we would ride motorcycles. Regardless, I love her more than anything in the world, and she is certainly forgiven because there are going to be a lot of beautiful days in our future.”
Germany’s Anna-Lena Niehues, who took time off in 2023 to give birth to her daughter Nelly, claimed bronze on Quimbaya 6 with a score of 75.222%, edging Frenchman Vladimir Vinchon on Pegase Mayenne into fourth place on 72.889%.
Six Paralympic Golds for George in Grade V
Belgium’s Michèle George showed her enduring class as she won her sixth Paralympic gold medal, defending her Grade V Individual title on her mount Best of 8. The 50-year-old, who won double individual golds at Tokyo 2020, finished well clear with a superb score of 76.692% to take her overall Paralympic medal tally to seven.
“I’m incredibly happy. Best of 8 was amazing,” George said. “For me, it felt like a gold medal because I had nearly no mistakes and she was really dancing with me. I enjoyed every second of it. It means a lot.”
George will aim to repeat her Tokyo feat of winning both Individual Grade V golds in Saturday’s Individual Freestyle event. “I really look forward to showing people how she can dance with our music, because she adores it,” she added.
Germany’s Regine Mispelkamp, partnering with Highlander Delight’s, added a silver medal to her individual Freestyle bronze from Tokyo 2020, scoring 73.231%. The 53-year-old, who coaches athletes and trains horses for dressage at her stables near Kerken, Germany, hopes to continue for two more Paralympic cycles.
“I have two young horses who are coming on, so I’m thinking about 2028 and maybe 2032,” Mispelkamp said. “It’s the best thing I do and when I do it, I am not thinking about my illness.”
Great Britain’s Sophie Wells, partnering with LJT Egebjerggards Samoa after her original horse Don Cara M was ruled out, won her ninth Paralympic medal after taking bronze with 72.257%, adding to her previous four golds and four silvers. This was Great Britain’s third bronze at Paris.
“It’s not ideal,” she said of her late change in horses. “But she was so brave going into that arena. She got a little bit nervous, but she’s only 8 years old. I held her hand through the whole test. She listened to me, and I couldn’t be prouder of her for that.”
To Come: Para Dressage Team and Individual Freestyle
After a rest day on Thursday, Para Dressage resumes at Versailles on Friday with the team event. Three athlete-and-horse combinations from each nation will join forces in a bid for a place on the podium.
Great Britain has won all seven team golds since 1996, but will face strong competition from the likes of Team USA and the Netherlands if teams maintain that sequence.
The final set of Individual medals will be decided on Saturday, September 7, as the top eight from the Individual tests in each of the five Grades compete in the Freestyle events.
To read more of our coverage on the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, click here.
