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Christiansen eyes new challenge

Posted by admin under Equestrian

Paralympic dressage champion Sophie Christiansen is hoping a new horse will help her continue her medal success.

The 21-year-old from Berkshire will debut Rivaldo of Berkeley, known as Robin, at this week’s Para-Dressage European Championships in Norway.

Christiansen goes to Norway as defending champion in both the Grade 1a championship and freestyle categories.

“I’m looking forward to the Europeans but nervous at the same time,” she told BBC Sport.

“I have posted good results this year on Lambrusco, who I rode in Hong Kong, and also on Robin, so I am in a very good position, but trying not to get complacent.”

Christiansen has cerebral palsy, which affects all her muscles, and rides in the category for the most disabled riders.

She won two golds and a silver as Britain dominated the equestrian events in Hong Kong and is one of three Beijing medallists on the British team, along with Lee Pearson and Simon Laurens for the event which starts on Thursday.

Emma Sheardown, who competes in the same category as Christiansen, and Sophie Wells will make their European debuts with Athens Paralympian Jo Pitt completing the line-up.

As well as the individual competitions, Britain will be hoping to continue their long unbeaten run in the team event, which stretches back to the sport’s Paralympic introduction in 1996.

But Christiansen will be hoping to ease Robin into international competition as she looks ahead to the London 2012 Paralympics

“I’ve had Robin about three months and he’s coming on really well,” she explained.

“It’s been a sharp learning curve for him as he’s had to understand that my involuntary movements aren’t always instructions to him - for example, not to canter when my leg goes back.

“One of my strengths as a rider is that I can get almost any horse and get the best out of it. It is probably because I have never had my own horse and have had to rely on borrowing from the South Bucks Riding for the Disabled Association group.
“It is important that a rider has a back-up as you never know what could happen. For the Worlds in 2007, my main horse went lame two weeks before the competition so I had to quickly get used to another one and I still won a gold and a bronze.

“Robin’s improvement is shown by the fact he has beaten Lambrusco a few times, but although he has what it takes to compete at this level, we think it’s a bit too early for him to go to the Europeans.

“He needs to trust us and there is no need to rush him when Lambrusco is still coming up with the results.”

Christiansen warmed up for Norway with an impressive display at the recent Festival of Dressage at Hartpury where she rode both horses and finished first and second in all three classes and won the Supreme Individual Championship ahead of Pearson.

“I was very pleased with both horses that week - they performed impeccably, which made my life easier,” she said.

“It was my first big competition with Robin so we weren’t sure how he would be. The fact that I could transfer my skills on to another horse within a couple hours also impressed people, I think.”

With a new horse, Christiansen also had to think about the music to use in the freestyle event in Norway after becoming European, World and Paralympic freestyle champion on Lambrusco with music from Lord of the Rings.

“I wanted different music for Robin as a new horse and I also wanted something that would represent me more,” she explained.

“I thought Penny Lane by The Beatles with an intro from Live and Let Die by Wings was halfway there, since I was involved in Sir Paul McCartney’s Paralympic campaign last year.

“I still need to figure out how to get Eric Clapton or Kasabian into a music test though - somehow I don’t think the judges would appreciate it.”