Herning, Denmark – The Adequan U.S. Para Dressage Team captured the bronze medal in team competition to stand on the podium in the Orifarm Healthcare FEI World Para Dressage Championships at Herning 2022. The team finished on a final score of 225.335 behind Denmark who took silver on a 229.751. The Dutch team won their second consecutive FEI World Championship gold, finishing on a team total of 230.225. The Orifarm Healthcare FEI World Para Dressage Championship will conclude tomorrow with the FEI Para Dressage Freestyles across all grades with the four U.S. combinations set to compete.

Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline commented on the team’s ability to overcome challenges and bring new, young horses into the spotlight while continuing to deliver top performances on the highest level – another building block to the program’s success after last year’s Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and their team bronze. 

“What we have done really affirms our position on the world stage. We got the bronze in Tokyo and to get this bronze again here means that it wasn’t a fluke, and the level of performance is great,” said Assouline. “I’m absolutely ecstatic with what they’ve done as a team here, and very proud of this team, and these girls.”

The four team combinations of Beatrice de Lavalette (Loxahatchee, Fla.) and Sixth Sense, Rebecca Hart (Wellington, Fla.) and El Corona Texel, Kate Shoemaker (Wellington, Fla.) and Quiana, and Roxanne Trunnell (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and Fortunato H20, each produced accurate, fluid tests to earn top scores in their respective grades.

“We had expectations, absolutely, but to get the medal was above my vision and we wanted to get the qualification for Paris and we did more and that’s this is all about,” he said.

With their Paris 2024 Paralympic qualification secured, the team can now look ahead and prepare for a continuation of their sustained progress on the international stage over the next two years and in the lead-in to 2024. With two team medals in two years, the team will have the pressure of maintaing and building on their success with their eyes on the podium once again in 2024. 

“We’ve had incredible support from our sponsors, of course, and all the riders have great backup. Three of horses were new here and one of the horses was loaned by another coach, which is the horse Roxanne is riding. It’s a six-year-old stallion who isn’t very experienced and to see what she could do on the world stage with that horse is really amazing,” added Assouline. “The other horses too. Most of them are young horses, new partnerships with at the most sixth months together, and I think that’s a very positive and bright trajectory for our future.”

Kate Shoemaker and Quiana, her own 2014 Rhinelander mare, is set to ride at 9:45 a.m. GMT+2/3:45 a.m. ET in Grade IV. Beatrice de Lavalette and Sixth Sense, 2010 Oldenburg gelding owned by Elizabeth and Nicolas de Lavalette, will compete in the Grade II Freestyle at 11:29 a.m. GMT+2/5:29 a.m. ET. Roxanne Trunnell (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and Fortunato H20 will go down the centerline for their freestyle in Grade I at 12:45 p.m. GMT+2/6:45 a.m. ET. Rebecca Hart and El Corona Texel will conclude competition for the U.S. at 3:09 p.m. GMT+2/9:09 a.m. ET.

Results
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