| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Para-Dressage | ||
Representing  Great Britain | ||
| Summer Paralympics | ||
 | 2004 Athens | Team championship |
| 2004 Athens | Championship test grade III |
| 2004 Athens | Freestyle test grade III |
| 2012 London | Team championship |
 | 2012 London | Championship test grade III |
| 2012 London | Freestyle test grade III |
Deborah Criddle MBE (born 10 May 1966) is a British para-equestrian who won three gold medals at the 2004 Summer Paralympics and three medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics.
Criddle was born on 10 May 1966 in Taunton, Somerset, England. [1] She lost the use of her right arm and right leg following a motorcycle accident in 1985, eventually having the arm amputated in 2003. [2] As a result, she competes in the grade III Paralympic classification. [3]
Criddle first competed at the Paralympics at the 2000 Games held in Sydney, where she finished eighth in the individual grade III event and fourth in the freestyle grade III. [1] She won individual, freestyle and team gold medals at both the 2001 European Championships and the 2003 World Championships. [2] At the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece, she won three gold medals. Riding the Nina Venables owned horse Figaro IX she won the individual and freestyle grade III events and was a part of Great Britain's victorious squad in the team championship. [1] This made her and Figaro the first horse and rider combination to have won triple gold at consecutive European, World and Paralympic Games. [2] At the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China, she was selected to compete as an individual rider and she finished fifth in the individual and fourth in the freestyle. [1] [2]
She was selected as part of the dressage squad for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom. Riding LJT Akilles she won a silver medal in the grade III individual event with a score of 71.267%, finishing behind Germany's gold medallist Hannalore Brenner who scored 73.467%, despite having to ask the judges for directions. [3] Criddle's result helped to secure a gold medal for the British squad, which also included Sophie Christiansen, Lee Pearson and Sophie Wells, in the team championship. [4] [5] She won her third medal of the 2012 Paralympics, a silver, in the freestyle grade III, on 4 September. [6] [7]
Criddle was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism. [8] [9]
Sir David Lee Pearson is a 14-times Paralympic Games gold medallist, having represented British para-equestrianism in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo. Over the course of his career he has won 30 gold medals at European, World and Paralympic level.
Equestrian at the 2008 Summer Paralympics consisted of eleven dressage events. The competitions were held in the Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Centre from 7 September to 11 September.
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Sophie Margaret Christiansen, CBE is an English equestrian who has competed in four successive Paralympic Games. In 2012 and 2016 she gained three gold medals at the Paralympics. In 2008 she won two gold medals and a silver at the Beijing Paralympics whilst studying for a master's degree in mathematics at Royal Holloway, University of London. She works as a software developer at investment bank, Goldman Sachs and as a disability campaigner. She qualified for the postponed 2020 Summer Paralympics but had to drop out due to her horse not being fit.
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The Individual championship test grade III equestrian event at the 2004 Summer Paralympics was competed on 21 September. It was won by Deborah Criddle, representing Great Britain.
The Individual freestyle test grade III equestrian event at the 2004 Summer Paralympics was competed on 23 September. It was won by Deborah Criddle, representing Great Britain.
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Dr. Angelika Trabert, is a German doctor and para-equestrian rider. She made her international debut in 1991, and went on to compete at five consecutive Summer Paralympics for her country, winning silver and bronze multiple medals. In addition, she was the 2009 European Champion in freestyle. Outside of the sport, she is an Anaesthetist who has worked internationally, including providing medical care in rural Africa.
Nicola Tustain is a retired Welsh Paralympic dressage rider. During her career, Tustain won multiple para-dressage medals at the World Championships and Paralympic Games. She was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2010.
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Britta Näpel is a German rider who competes in para-dressage riding. She has won a gold, four silver, and one bronze medals.