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| Born | 5 May 1990 (age 33) Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Sophie Wells OBE (born 5 May 1990) is a British para-equestrian who won three medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, and 2 Golds and 1 Silver at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, and most recently Team Gold & Individual Silver at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Wells was born on 5 May 1990 in Lincoln, England. [1] She was born with amniotic band syndrome and as a result she has no feeling or little movement in her feet and has lost numerous fingers. Because of her disability she competes in the Grade V Paralympic classification, the classification for riders with the lowest level of physical disability. [2] [3]
Wells competed her GCSEs and 3 A-levels (Biology, Physics & Sport) at Sir Robert Pattinson Academy in 2008, and started at the University of Lincoln doing Sport & Exercise Science, however left when entering into Year 2, to focus on the London 2012 Paralympics.
Wells is currently[ when? ] studying for a Post Graduate Diploma and UKCC Level 4 in Coaching through the University of Gloucester.[ citation needed ]
Wells took up riding at the age of eight and begin competing in dressage at the age of twelve. In 2008, she won the junior international class at Hickstead U21 International, becoming the first disabled rider to win an able-bodied international event. [2] [3] She was named as the first reserve rider for Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China, but withdrew when her horse was found to have a tumour on its foot. [2]
At the 2009 European Championships in Kristiansand, Norway, she won three gold medals; with her horse Pinocchio she won the individual and team grade IV events and was also part of the British squad that won the team championship. At the 2010 World Equestrian Games held in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, she won gold medals in both the individual and freestyle grade IV events. [3]
She was selected as part of the dressage squad for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom. Riding Pinocchio she won a silver medal in the grade IV individual event with a score of 76.323%, finishing behind Belgium's gold medallist Michèle George, who scored 77.065%. [4] [5] Wells's result helped to secure a gold medal for the British squad, which also included Sophie Christiansen, Deborah Criddle and Lee Pearson, in the team championship. [6] [7] She won her second silver medal of the Games in the freestyle grade IV event, where she scored 81.150%, but was again beaten by George of Belgium. [8]
Wells was appointed Member of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism [9] [10] and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours, also for services to equestrianism. [11] [12]
Wells has never wanted her disability to define or restrict her, wanting to prove its about ability - not disability. Wells was the first Para rider to compete in both able bodied and para major championships in the same year (2010 & 2011). She competed at Grand Prix nationally and Internationally in U25 and Senior level on Pincchio, and nationally on Valerius & Diadem.
2007: World Para Dressage Championships; Hartpury - UK; Non-medallist selection; 6th place Freestyle; Riding Seymours Shadow, owned by Carolyn Alston
2008: Paralympics Games; Beijing - China; 1st Reserve with call up unable to compete due to horse injury; Riding Touchdown M: owned by Nicola & Mervyn Wells
2009: Para European Championships; Kristiansand - Norway; Team Gold, Individual Gold, Freestyle Gold; Riding Pinocchio: owned by Jackie & Neil Walker
2010: World Equestrian Games; Kentucky - USA; Individual Gold, Freestyle Gold; Riding Pinocchio: owned by Jackie & Neil Walker
2010: Young Rider European Championships (able bodied): Kronberg - Germany: 24th Team Test, 18th Individual: Riding Pinocchio owned by Jackie & Neil Walker
2011: Para European Championships; Moorsele - Belgium; Team Gold, Individual Gold, Freestyle Gold; Riding Valerius: owned by Sophie Wells
2011: Young Rider European Championships (able bodied); Broholm - Denmark; 14th Team, 16th Individual: Riding Pinocchio owned by Jackie & Neil Walker
2011: Young Rider World Cup Final (able bodied); Frankfurt - Germany; 6th Freestyle
2012: Paralympic Games; London UK; Team Gold, Individual Silver, Freestyle Silver; Riding Pinocchio: owned by Jackie & Neil Walker
2013: Para European Championships; Herning - Denmark; Team Gold, Individual Gold, Freestyle Gold; Riding Valerius: owned by Sophie Wells
2014: World Equestrian Games; Caen - France; Team Gold, Individual Silver, Freestyle Silver; Riding Valerius: owned by Sophie Wells
2015: Para European Championships; Deauville - France; Team Gold, Individual Silver, Freestyle Silver; Riding C Fatal Attraction: owned by Charlotte Hogg
2016: Paralympic Games; Rio - Brazil; Team Gold, Individual Gold, Freestyle Silver; Riding Valerius: owned by Sophie Wells
2017: Para European Championships; Gothenburg - Sweden; Team Gold, Individual Silver, Freestyle Gold; Riding C Fatal Attraction: owned by Charlotte Hogg
2018: World Equestrian Games; North Carolina - USA; Team Silver, Individual Gold, Freestyle Gold; Riding C Fatal Attraction: owned by Charlotte Hogg
2019: Para European Championships; Rotterdam - The Netherlands; Team Silver, Individual Silver, Freestyle Silver; Riding C Fatal Attraction: owned by Charlotte Hogg
2020: Corona Virus Pandemic - Tokyo 2020 postponed
2021: Paralympic Games; Tokyo - Japan; Team Gold, Individual Silver, Freestyle Silver; Riding Don Cara M: owned by Rowland & Maria Kinch
Totalling 34 medals at 12 consecutive Para Championships.
Wells coaches many para and able bodied clients, including Georgia Wilson (2019 European Gold & Silver Medalist, 2020 Paralympic double Bronze medallist), Erin Orford and Izzy Palmer.
Theodora Elisabeth Gerarda "Anky" van Grunsven is a Dutch dressage champion who is the only rider to record three successive Olympic wins in the same event. Along with her Olympic successes, she has won numerous medals at the World Equestrian Games (WEG), and is the only rider to have competed at every WEG since they began in 1990. Between 1990 and 2006, she competed at the Games in dressage, but in 2010 she was named as part of the Dutch reining team, marking a major change in discipline.
Isabell Werth is a German equestrian and world champion in dressage who competed in the Olympics six times winning twelve medals, seven of them gold. She holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by any equestrian athlete.
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.
Simon Laurens is a British Para-equestrian who competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics, held in Beijing, China.
Rosalie Fahey is a Paralympic equestrian competitor from Australia. She won a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Games in the Mixed Dressage – Championship grade I event.
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.
Charlotte Susan Jane Dujardin is a British dressage rider, equestrian and writer. A multiple World and Olympic champion, Dujardin has been described as the dominant dressage rider of her era. She held the complete set of available individual elite dressage titles at one point: the individual Olympic freestyle, World freestyle and Grand Prix Special, World Cup individual dressage and European freestyle, and Grand Prix Special titles. Dujardin was the first rider to hold this complete set of titles at the same time.
Michèle George is a Paralympic equestrian of Belgium. She won two gold medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, a gold and one silver at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, and another two gold medals at the 2020 Summer 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.
Ricky Balshaw, is a British para equestrian rider who represented Britain in the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, winning the silver medal with Deacons Georgi. He also holds two world-championships and one European award.
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.
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.
Georgia Wilson is a British equestrian, who won bronze in the individual championship test grade II and individual freestyle test grade II events at the 2020 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.
Nathalie Bizet is a French Para-Equestrian Dressage rider. She won a bronze medal.
Britta Näpel is a German rider who competes in para-dressage riding. She has won a gold, four silver, and one bronze medals.
