| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National team | Great Britain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 27 December 1977 Corwen, Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Great Britain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Para equestrian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability | Hemiplegia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | Para dressage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nicola Tustain MBE (born 27 December 1977) 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.
Tustain was born on 27 December 1977 in Corwen, Wales. [1] She was born with hemiplegia that paralyzed her right side. [2] She began riding competitively when she was ten years old and participated in a Riding for the Disabled Association championship when she was twelve. Tustain joined the British equestrian team in 1993. [3] In 1996, she completed a certificate in healthcare at Yale College, Wrexham. [4]
Tustain won her first para-dressage medals at the 1999 World Championships with three gold medals. While competing in the World Championships, Tustain won an additional three gold medals at the 2003 World Championships and a gold and a silver at the 2007 World Para Dressage Championships. [5]
Alternatively, Tustain won six Paralympic medals in dressage. At the 2000 Summer Paralympics, Tustain won a gold medal in the team and freestyle events with a bronze in the individual event. At the following Paralympics, she won a gold in the team event while winning a bronze in the individual and freestyle events at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. [2]
Other medals include two gold and one bronze at the 2005 European Championships and multiple British Dressage Championships. She retired in 2009. [6]
In 2000, Tustain was awarded the British Equestrian Federation Medal of Honour. In 2003, she was named the best dressage rider by Animal Health Trust. [6] The following year, Tustain was nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability in 2004 but lost to Earle Connor. [7] In 2010, Tustain was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire at the 2010 Birthday Honours. [8]
Isabell Werth is a German equestrian who has competed in dressage at seven Olympic Games —1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2016, 2020, 2024— winning the gold medal in the team event in all seven, and one gold and six silver medals in the individual event. She stands alone in having medals from seven Olympics, or across a span of 32 years; her 14 medals are the most for any German or equestrian. She also has numerous titles in the World and European Championships and World Cups.
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.
Laurentia Tan Yen Yi BBM PBM, is a Singaporean para-equestrian competitor. Tan developed cerebral palsy and profound deafness after birth, and moved to the United Kingdom with her parents at the age of three. She took up horse riding aged five years as a form of physiotherapy. She subsequently completed her A-levels at the Mary Hare Grammar School, a residential special school for the deaf, and graduated with an honours degree from Oxford Brookes University in hospitality management and tourism.
Anne Patricia Dunham OBE is a British Para-equestrian who has competed in the Paralympic Games.
Laura Tomlinson MBE is a German-British dressage rider competing at Olympic level. As of 30 June 2012 the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) ranked her 3rd in the world riding Mistral Højris and 36th on Andretti H. In that year, Tomlinson, riding Mistral Højris under her maiden name of Laura Bechtolsheimer, won two medals in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London; gold for Great Britain in the team dressage with Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin, the first ever Olympic team gold in the discipline for her country, and bronze in the individual dressage behind gold medalist and compatriot Dujardin.
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.
Carl Hester is a British dressage rider competing at Olympic level. As of 8 August 2012, the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) rank him 12th in the world riding Uthopia. In 2012, Hester formed part of the Great Britain Dressage team that won gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Michèle George is a Paralympic equestrian of Belgium. She won seven gold and one silver medal at the Paralympic Games.
Sophie Wells is an English para-equestrian who won three medals at the 2012 London Paralympics, three at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, two at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and two at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Natasha Louise Baker is a British para-equestrian who won 2 gold medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, 3 at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, and 1 more in the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Deborah Criddle MBE is a British para-equestrian who won three gold medals at the 2004 Summer Paralympics and three medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics.
Lauren Barwick is a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team, in grade II Para-Dressage, who has competed in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games. She won three medals in those games. Barwick has featured in CBC's Heartland and has several awards.
Susan Seipel is an Australian Para-canoeist, a gold and bronze medallist in kayak and outrigger canoe at the 2015 and 2016 World Championships. She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. another bronze medal at 2024 Summer Paralympics
Sharon Jarvis is an Australian para-equestrian. She represented Australia at the three Summer Paralympics - 2008 Beijing, 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo.
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.
Elke Philipp is a German Paralympic equestrian.
Iréne Slättengren is a Swedish former equestrian and audiologist. She won gold medals in the individual championship test grade II and individual freestyle test grade II dressage events at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens.
Georgia Wilson is a British equestrian, who won bronze medals in the individual championship test grade II and individual freestyle test grade II events at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, and the Individual championship test grade II event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics. She also won the individual championship grade II event at the 2019 FEI European Championships.
Suzanna Hext is a British Paralympic swimmer and equestrian, who won three gold medals in dressage at the 2017 FEI European Championships, and two medals at both the 2019 and 2023 World Para Swimming Championships. She finished fourth in two S5 swimming events at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Kate Shoemaker is an American Paralympic equestrian. She represented the United States at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Paralympics.
