Laurens quits Paralympic show ring

Paul Carter

Paralympic gold medallist Simon Laurens has announced his immediate retirement from international para-equestrian dressage.

Laurens, who won team gold at the 2008 Sydney Paralympics along with an individual silver in freestyle dressage, said personal reasons had forced him to make the decision to step down from competition.

“This has been a very difficult decision and I have thought very carefully for a number of months before making this announcement,” he said.

“For personal reasons competing at international level is becoming more and more difficult.

“I have also been looking very hard for a successor to my current ride, Ocean Diamond (Derek), for the last 12 months and have tried some lovely horses, but have not found a horse that I believe I can win a medal with in London 2012.

“It has become increasingly difficult for me to carry on competing in the current global climate and I have therefore made the very difficult decision to hang up my international boots. I intend to remain involved in the sport and help promote para-equestrian dressage.”

British Equestrian Federation (BEF) Perfor­mance Director, Will Connell, said it was a “sad day” for para-equestrian sport.

He said: “Not only has Simon proven himself an outstanding athlete, winning medals for Team GB at Paralympic Games, European and World level, Simon is also a fantastic Team member. He gives freely of his time to help promote his sport and encourages others to try riding.

“He always has a smile on his face and a ready quip that helps maintain a very positive and enjoyable team atmosphere. We will miss him in the Team and the World Class Programme Squad but I hope that we will see a great deal of him.”