More medals for Pearson as equestrian team strike gold

By Paul Carter

Lee Pearson has collected an astonishing eighth Paralympic gold as he maintained his unbeaten record at the Paralympics and won Great Britain’s team a fourth consecutive gold.

Pearson added the individual title to the three golds in he won in both Sydney and Athens, as he registered a score of 73.24 per cent.

It was enough to seal the team medal for Great Britain, which they have won at every Games since the equestrian event was introduced in 1996.

Pearson was competing on his own gelding Gentleman, and there were concerns coming into the Games that the horse was too inexperienced.

“On an inexperienced horse I couldn’t ask for any more,” he said.

“For a young horse in a big atmosphere I’m very pleased.”

Earlier in the evening, other British riders Anne Dunham and Sophie Christiansen picked up gold and silver respectively in the grade 1a individual championship test.

Together with Pearson and Simon Laurens, the team medal takes the tally to three golds and one silver.

All the riders will now compete in the freestyle event where they will be hoping to add to the medal tally.