# Equestrian events at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

Equestrian events at the 2016 Summer Paralympics consist of 11 dressage events, ten for individual riders across five classes, and a single mixed team, mixed category event. The competitions were held in the Olympic Equestrian Centre in Rio, in September 2016.

## Classification

Riders are given a classification depending on the type and extent of their disability. The classification system allowed riders to compete against others with a similar level of function.
Athletes are classified according to their functional ability when mounted across four grades and five categories (Ia and Ib, II, III and IV). The grading determines the complexity of the movements riders perform with their horses during their tests, ensuring that the tests are judged on the skill of the rider, regardless of their impairment. Riders may use permitted assistive devices such as dressage whips, connecting rein bars looped reins, and the like. Riders who have visual impairments are permitted to use 'callers' to help them navigate around the arena.
Riders with recovering or deteriorating conditions such as MS are eligible but must have been reclassified within six months of a World Championships or Paralympic Games to ensure their classification is correct.
Specialised equipment including prostheses is only allowed where it has been specifically approved.
Equestrian events at the 2016 Summer Paralympics – Classification of events :
| Classification | Classification | Description |
| I | a | for riders with impaired limb function, or poor balance and good upper limb function Grade Ia riders are usually wheelchair users with impairment of all four limbs. They may be able to walk, but this is usually with an unsteady gait due to difficulties with balance and trunk stability. |
| I | b | for riders with impaired limb function, and/or poor balance and good upper limb function Grade Ib riders are similar to Grade Ia in that they are mainly wheelchair users. They must have poor trunk balance and/or impairment of all four limbs. Some riders will have both, but some will have just one of the two listed impairments. |
| II | II | for riders with locomotion impairment Grade II riders are often wheelchair users. Riders in this grade can have severe impairment involving the trunk but with good or mild upper limb function, or can have severe arm impairment and slight leg impairment, or can have severe degree of impairment down one side. |
| III | III | for blind riders with moderate locomotion impairment Grade III riders are usually able to walk without support but may require a wheelchair for longer distances. Riders can have moderate unilateral impairment, moderate impairment of all four limbs, or severe arm impairment. Blind riders compete in this category but must wear blacked-out glasses or a blindfold. |
| IV | IV | for riders with some visual impairment or impaired function in one or two limbs Grade IV riders have an impairment of one of two limbs or a visual impairment at B2 level. |

## Qualification

The following teams and individuals have attained quota places for the 2016 Summer Paralympics Equestrian event. On 25 March, FEI announced that France and Russia, having achieved multiple quota places for individuals, would be able to field composite teams in the team competition, bringing the total number of teams in that event to 16.
Equestrian events at the 2016 Summer Paralympics – Qualification :
| Qualification route | Standard | Qualifiers | Quotas |
| 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games | Top three ranked teams, 4 riders each | Great Britain Netherlands Germany | 12 |
| FEI World Para-dressage Rankings as of 31 January 2016 | Top seven ranked teams, 4 riders each | Italy  Belgium  Austria  Norway  United States  Denmark  Australia | 28 |
| FEI Regional Para-dressage Allocation | Top ranked remaining team, 4 riders each, from following regions : Africa Americas Asia Oceania | - Canada Singapore Russia | 12 |
| FEI Para-dressage Individual Ranking as of 31 January 2016 | Two qualification slots for NPC(s) not already represented : Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania | South Africa –  Mexico  Brazil  Hong Kong  Japan  Russia  Sweden – – | 10 |
| Bipartite Commission | Three qualification slots | Portugal  Slovakia  Uruguay | 3 |
| Host Country Allocation | One team of four | Brazil | 4 |
| Completion of Quota Procedure | Five highest ranked athletes (regardless of region) on the FEI Paralympic Individual Ranking List plus any unused quota places | Great Britain  Finland  Latvia  Netherlands  Ireland  Russia  Finland  France  Czech Republic  Switzerland  Russia  Denmark  Switzerland  France  France  France | 5+ |
| Total | Total | Total | 78 |

## Officials

Appointment of officials is as follows:

### Dressage

* Alison Pauline King (Ground Jury President)
* Hanneke Gerritsen (Ground Jury Member)
* Anne Prain (Ground Jury Member)
* Kjell Myhre (Ground Jury Member)
* Marc Urban (Ground Jury Member)
* Marco Orsini (Ground Jury Member)
* Sarah Leitch (Ground Jury Member)

## Events

Equestrian events at the 2016 Summer Paralympics – Classification of events :
| DATE | SESSION | EVENT | EVENT | EVENT | GRADE |
| 10 September 2016 | 10:00:00 | Horse Inspection | | | |
| 11 September 2016 | 10:00:00 | Team Test | | Grade III | Grade III |
| | 14:00:00 | Team Test | | Grade Ib | Grade Ib |
| 12 September 2016 | 10:00:00 | Team Test | | Grade IV | Grade IV |
| | 13:00:00 | Team Test | | Grade Ia | Grade Ia |
| 13 September 2016 | 10:00:00 | Team Test | | Grade II | Grade II |
| | 14:00:00 | Individual Championship Test | Individual Championship Test | Grade III | Grade III |
| 14 September 2016 | 10:00:00 | Individual Championship Test | Individual Championship Test | Grade IV | Grade IV |
| | 14:00:00 | Individual Championship Test | Individual Championship Test | Grade Ib | Grade Ib |
| 15 September 2016 | 09:00:00 | Individual Championship Test | Individual Championship Test | Grade II | Grade II |
| | 12:45:00 | Individual Championship Test | Individual Championship Test | Grade Ia | Grade Ia |
| 16 September 2016 | 09:00:00 | Individual Freestyle Test | Individual Freestyle Test | Grade III | Grade III |
| | 10:10:00 | Individual Freestyle Test | Individual Freestyle Test | Grade IV | Grade IV |
| | 13:00:00 | Individual Freestyle Test | Individual Freestyle Test | Grade Ib | Grade Ib |
| | 14:10:00 | Individual Freestyle Test | Individual Freestyle Test | Grade Ia | Grade Ia |
| | 15:30:00 | Individual Freestyle Test | Individual Freestyle Test | Grade II | Grade II |

## Participating nations

76 athletes from 29 nations competed.
* Argentina (1)
* Australia (4)
* Austria (4)
* Belgium (4)
* Brazil (4)
* Canada (4)
* Czech Republic (1)
* Denmark (4)
* Finland (1)
* France (4)
* Germany (5)
* Great Britain (5)
* Hong Kong (1)
* Ireland (1)
* Italy (4)
* Japan (1)
* Latvia (1)
* Mexico (1)
* Netherlands (5)
* Norway (4)
* Poland (1)
* Portugal (1)
* Singapore (3)
* Slovakia (1)
* South Africa (1)
* Sweden (2)
* Switzerland (2)
* United States (5)
* Uruguay (1)

## Medal table

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Great Britain (GBR) | 7 | 4 | 0 | 11 |
| 2 | Netherlands (NED) | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 3 | Austria (AUT) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Belgium (BEL) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Norway (NOR) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Denmark (DEN) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 7 | Germany (GER) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | Brazil (BRA) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 8 | Sweden (SWE) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Totals (9 entries) | Totals (9 entries) | 11 | 11 | 11 | 33 |

## Medal summary

| Event | Class | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Individual championship test details | Grade Ia | Sophie Christiansen on Athene Lindebjerg (GBR) | Anne Dunham on LJT Lucas Normark (GBR) | Sérgio Oliva on Coco Chanel M (BRA) |
| Individual freestyle test details | Grade Ia | Sophie Christiansen on Athene Lindebjerg (GBR) | Anne Dunham on LJT Lucas Normark (GBR) | Sérgio Oliva on Coco Chanel M (BRA) |
| Individual championship test details | Grade Ib | Pepo Puch on Fontainenoir (AUT) | Lee Pearson on Zion (GBR) | Stinna Kaastrup on Horsebo Smarties (DEN) |
| Individual freestyle test details | Grade Ib | Lee Pearson on Zion (GBR) | Pepo Puch on Fontainenoir (AUT) | Stinna Kaastrup on Horsebo Smarties (DEN) |
| Individual championship test details | Grade II | Natasha Baker on Cabral (GBR) | Demi Vermeulen on Burberry (NED) | Rixt van der Horst on Jockey Club Caraat (NED) |
| Individual freestyle test details | Grade II | Natasha Baker on Cabral (GBR) | Rixt van der Horst on Jockey Club Caraat (NED) | Steffen Zeibig on Feel Good 4 (GER) |
| Individual championship test details | Grade III | Ann Cathrin Lübbe on Porsborggaardens Donatello (NOR) | Susanne Sunesen on CSK's Que Faire (DEN) | Louise Etzner Jakobsson on Zernard (SWE) |
| Individual freestyle test details | Grade III | Sanne Voets on Demantur RS2 N.O.P (NED) | Ann Cathrin Lübbe on Porsborggaardens Donatello (NOR) | Louise Etzner Jakobsson on Zernard (SWE) |
| Individual championship test details | Grade IV | Sophie Wells on Valerius (GBR) | Michèle George on FBW Rainman (BEL) | Frank Hosmar on Alphaville N.O.P. (NED) |
| Individual freestyle test details | Grade IV | Michèle George on FBW Rainman (BEL) | Sophie Wells on Valerius (GBR) | Frank Hosmar on Alphaville N.O.P. (NED) |
| Team details | Open | Great Britain Natasha Baker on Cabral Sophie Wells on Valerius Anne Dunham on LJT Lucas Normark Sophie Christiansen on Athene Lindebjerg | Germany Alina Rosenberg on Nea's Daboun Carolin Schnarre on Del Rusch Steffen Zeibig on Feel Good 4 Elke Philipp on Regaliz | Netherlands Nicole den Dulk on Wallace N.O.P. Frank Hosmar on Alphaville N.O.P. Demi Vermeulen on Burberry Rixt van der Horst on Jockey Club Caraat |