Sara Morganti Voted Paralympic Athlete Of The Month

Italy’s Sara Morganti has been voted the International Paralympic Committee’s best female Allianz Athlete of the Month for August following her incredible performance at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA).

The Tuscany-born Para-Equestrian Dressage rider scored an outstanding Freestyle Grade 1a gold medal with her mare Royal Delight ahead of British Paralympic and reigning world champion Sophie Christiansen and Singapore’s most-decorated Paralympic athlete Laurentia Tan.

Morganti, who also won Individual Grade 1a silver at the Games in Normandy, beat five champions to the top spot in the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) poll from the worlds of canoeing, athletics, swimming and sailing following a bumper month of global para-sport.

Italy’s Sara Morganti has been voted the International Paralympic Committee’s best female Allianz Athlete of the Month for August following her incredible performance at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA) – she is pictured at these Games with her mare Royal Delight. (FEI/David Sinclair)

Since her international début at the first FEI European Para-Dressage Championships in 2009 in Kristiansand (NOR), where she won Freestyle bronze with chestnut stallion Dollaro de Villanova, Morganti has gone on with Royal Delight to secure Freestyle bronze at both the 2011 Championships in Moorsele (BEL) and the JYSK FEI European Para-Dressage Championships 2013 in Herning (DEN). Since coming fourth at the London 2012 Paralympic Games in Greenwich Park, where her cherished nine-year-old mare was the youngest horse to compete, she has been trying to edge past her highly experienced rivals.

With over 40 per cent of the votes, Morganti said: “I’m so happy that so many have voted for me – it’s incredible. The support of all these people will be an additional reason to focus on doing the best I can every single day. Before the Games in Normandy my dream was to qualify for Rio 2016, but after winning two medals there my dream is now to win a Paralympic medal. Obviously Royal Delight will have an extra portion of carrots for this new fantastic achievement!”

Pole position

Great Britain’s Jeannette Chippington (GBR), second in the IPC poll, was crowned a seven-time para-canoe world champion with two more titles at the 2014 ICF Canoe World Championships in Moscow (RUS), despite only taking up canoeing in 2012.

Teresa Perales (ESP), voted third, won a staggering four gold medals at the 2014 IPC Swimming Championships in Eindhoven (NED), with Manuela Schaer (SUI) and Margarita Goncharova (RUS), coming fourth and fifth after each achieving four golds at the 2014 IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea (GBR). Liesl Tesch (AUS) placed sixth in the IPC poll after scoring her first-ever world title with her partner Daniel Fitzgibbon at the 2014 IFDS Combined Sailing World Championships in Halifax (CAN).

Lee Pearson, the ten-time Paralympic Games gold medallist in Grade 1b, who scored triple gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA), and helped to secure Great Britain’s team spot at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, was shortlisted for the best male Allianz Athlete of the Month for August, but was pipped to the post by the Ukraine’s Yevheniy Bohodayko who won seven gold medals at the 2014 IPC Swimming European Championships.

The nominations for the Allianz Athlete of the Month are compiled from submissions by National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) and International Federations (IFs), with voting open to the public. The Best Youngster category for the Allianz Athlete of the Month for August will soon be live at http://www.paralympic.org.

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy – Para-Equestrian Dressage Individual Freestyle Medals

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014

Para-Equestrian Dressage in Normandy hits highest notes

The sun shone, the crowds came, and the horses dazzled at La Prairie Racecourse in Caen today, as the Para-Equestrian Dressage riders at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA) took to the arena for individual freestyle medals.

The Grade Ia title was won by Italy’s Sara Morganti with Royal Delight. She scored 78.800% to beat the reigning European and Paralympic Champion Sophie Christiansen (GBR) on Janeiro 6, who finished with silver on 77.550%. Germany’s Elke Philipp was overjoyed with her bronze medal with Regaliz on 76.750%.

Morganti said: “This is a dream come true. Royal Delight was beautiful today. She was on the music and did everything she could. I hoped and worked for a medal, and I dreamed of gold.”

Christiansen’s Normandy experience has been poignant, as this was her last ride with her trainer, Clive Milkins (GBR), who has worked with her throughout her incredibly successful career. After a few tears, she said: “I rode the best test I could. It shows how much the standard has gone up since London 2012, which is great for the sport. I’m looking forward to the next two years and digging deep. It’s good that this happens now, instead of at Rio.”

FEI President HRH Princess Haya celebrates freestyle medal day at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA) with triple gold medallists Zion and Lee Pearson (GBR), the world’s most successful Para-Equestrian Dressage athlete. (Leanjo de Koster/FEI)

Winners take it all

Great Britain’s Lee Pearson sealed his stunning return to international competition with Zion, claiming his third gold medal of the Games with 80.050%. Austria’s Pepo Puch on Fine Feelings S claimed his second silver at the Games with 78.000% and Nicole Den Dulk of The Netherlands was again delighted with bronze on Wallace with 75.150%.

“It’s been an amazing competition for me,” said Pearson. “I’ve trusted this horse for years and this week he has proven me right. He’s been through a lot over the last five years and I’m over the moon. I don’t think he could have gone any better today.”

Waking up as world champion

There was more joy for The Netherlands in Grade II individual freestyle, when Games first-timer Rixt van der Horst on Uniek sealed her Normandy freestyle gold with 76.350%. “It’s what I’ve dreamed of,” she said. “I tried to relax and enjoy it because I had nothing to lose. Maybe tomorrow I will realise I am double world champion!”

Canada’s Lauren Barwick on Off to Paris took silver with 76.250% and Den Dulk’s team mate Demi Vermeulen claimed bronze with 71.900%.

Unstoppable Netherlands

Sanne Voets, runner up to Germany’s Hannelore Brenner in the individual competition, took the Grade III freestyle title. On Vedet PB, Voets scored 77.450% to Brenner’s 76.200% on Women of the World. Denmark’s Annika Lykke Risum won bronze, watched by her seven month old baby Alexander, on Aros A Fenris with 73.050%.

“It’s amazing,” said Voets. “I can’t believe it yet – this is big! It’s the reward for a lot of hard work. The partnership me and my horse have is very special. He gave it everything and was there for me. We did this together.”

In the Grade IV, Belgium’s Michèle George rode FBW Rainman to an impressive 78.650%, claiming gold over Sophie Wells with Valerius who secured silver on 78.050%, and Netherlands’ Frank Hosmar on Alphaville N.O.P. finishing on bronze with 75.950%.

At the end of a week of surprises, emerging stars and sublime performances in the heart of Normandy, Great Britain topped the medal table again, this time with four gold and four silver medals.

The Para-Equestrian Dressage at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 will be remembered for new faces, who are now challenging the champions. The clear winner overall however is undoubtedly the sport itself, which has bathed in the limelight in Normandy.

Rob Howell