HONG KONG, Sept 11 (Xinhua) -- British and German
riders became the biggest winners in the Para-equestrian Freestyle Tests of
Grade Ia, Ib and III that finished here Thursday.
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Members of Britain's equestrian team
wave during the Overall Team awarding ceremony of the Beijing 2008
Paralympic Games Equestrian event at Hong Kong Equestrian Venue (Sha Tin)
Sept. 11, 2008. British team won gold, German team took silver and
Norwegian team took bronze. (Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>> |
Representing Britain, Sophie Christiansen, scoring
76.166 points, and Anne Dunham, 73.333, net gold and sliver in the Grade Ia Test
respectively, while the bronze went to Laurentia Tan from Singapore, who scored
70.167.
At the Individual Championship held earlier, Dunham
came first,and Christiansen, second, and Tan was the bronze medalist.
"The Individual Freestyle Gold medal is amazing, I've
worked hard for it," said the Grade Ia gold medalist.
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Members of Germany's equestrian team
wave during the Overall Team awarding ceremony of the Beijing 2008
Paralympic Games Equestrian event at Hong Kong Equestrian Venue (Sha Tin)
Sept. 11, 2008. British team won gold, German team took silver and
Norwegian team took bronze. (Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>> |
Grade Ib rider Lee Pearson, representing Britain, who
already got a gold in the Individual Championship Test, successfully defended
the first place by getting high score 77.057.
"I just want to cry, I'm over the moon. I've managed
to keep my 100 percent success rate," said the 34-year-old defender who has got
nine gold medals in a row since the Sydney 200 Games.
Pearson said that it was not the easiest test he has
ever done and his horse has changed his life. "He is a young new horse and it's
been a long journey for us to get here."
The silver medal of the Grade Ib test went to British
rider Ricky Balshaw with 70.444 and Brazilian rider V De Luthenay got bronze
with 67.333.
At the Grade III test, Germany rider Hannelore
Brenner, scored 74.223, getting her third gold in the Games, including those
gaining at the Individual Championship and overall Team Tests.
"The horse is a little bit stressed and it is not
easy to rider her since she is emotional. But I know the horse can get good
marks for me," said Brenner.
British rider Simon Laurens, scoring 73.499, got
gold, while Denmark's A Dalskov Lykke, 73.222, gained bronze at the Freestyle
Test of the same grade.
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Members of Norway's equestrian team wave
during the Overall Team awarding ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic
Games Equestrian event at Hong Kong Equestrian Venue (Sha Tin) Sept. 11,
2008. British team won gold, German team took silver and Norwegian team
took bronze. (Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>> |
Prizes were given to winners of the above Tests as
well as the overall Team Test. Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang, Hong Kong
Chief Secretary Henry Tang and some other guests presented the prizes.
The results of the Team Test already came out on
Sept. 8, with Britain, Germany and Norway winning gold, sliver and bronze
respectively.
Speaking after completion of the Equestrian Events
Thursday, Henry Tang said that the competition was an inspirational occasion
which has left the city with an Olympic and Paralympic legacy.
"We have achieved our mission of staging two Games of
equal splendor. Each rider deserves a gold medal. The courage, determination and
talent of the competitors have been an inspiration to us all and something we
will never forget," Tang said.
He said that he was delighted that Hong Kong has been
able to provide world-class facilities and organizational expertise to help make
this a successful competition.
The five-day Para-equestrian Events ended on
Thursday.