Source:  News Release

Top 10 for Lauren Barwick on Day Three of Para-Dressage at Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

Rio de Janeiro, BRA – Canada’s Lauren Barwick kicked off her fourth consecutive Paralympic Games with a seventh place finish in the Grade II Team Test on Sept. 13 at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, BRA.

Riding Onyx, a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding sired by Wolkentanz and owned by Equestrian Canada, Barwick earned marks up to 7.6 for individual movements, including her strong entrance down the centreline and square halt, for a total score of 69.265%.

First place went to Natasha Baker of Great Britain, who scored 71.882% with Cabral. Demi Vermeulen of The Netherlands finished second aboard Burberry with 71.824% and Germany’s Steffen Zeibig and Feel Good 4 scored 71.529% for third.

“I didn’t know what to expect from Onyx,” said Barwick, 39, who has won more medals at major games than any other Canadian rider, including gold and silver at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and silver and bronze at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games in France. “It was our third time in an international arena and I’ve only been riding him for 10 months now, so I wasn’t really sure what the environment was going to create in him. But, I’m pleased with how he went in there. It was steady and he tried really hard. For day one, that’s all I can ask.”

Barwick also talked about her evolving partnership with Onyx, stating, “The horses have to learn how to go to my disability. Then, once we have the horse going to our disability, we have to create our perfect test. Not what the horse used to know, but what we do in our tests. Then what you have to do, is you have to figure out that perfect equation. Two plus two equals four, but one plus three also equals four and zero plus four also equals four. So what is the perfect equation to get that perfect ride in the arena? And I think that’s the one challenge with having a horse for a shorter period of time, is that you don’t know what that perfect equation is yet to make the Olympic ride.”

With Barwick’s Grade being the last to complete the Team Test, the Individual classes kicked off in the afternoon with the Grade III Individual Test. Roberta Sheffield, 35, from Lincolnshire, GBR returned to the ring aboard Double Agent, her nine-year-old Anglo European mare sired by Donnersohn. Despite the thermometer climbing to 37 C plus humidity in the afternoon, the duo put in a solid performance for a score of 67.146% to finish in 14th place.

“It’s extremely hot, but the test itself felt really good,” said Sheffield, who is making her Paralympic debut in Rio. “I felt my horse was trying really hard, but the heat is just something else.”

Sheffield also commented on her overall experience so far in Rio, stating, “It’s been a fantastic experience, and Rio has looked after us brilliantly. I think it’s been a really, really good experience for me, and I’m sure I’ve grown a great deal as a rider.”

The Gold medal in the Grade III Individual Test went to Cathrin Ann Lubbe of Norway and Donatello (72.878%). Denmark’s Susanne Sunesen and Que Faire earned Silver with 72.171% and Bronze went to Louise Etzner Jakobsson and Zernard on 70.341%.

The Individual tests will continue on Sept. 14 with Ashley Gowanlock of Surrey, BC contesting the Grade 1b division. Barwick and Robyn Andrews of St. John’s, NL will complete their Individual tests on Sept. 15.

Following the completion of the Individual tests, the top three scores from the Team and Individual tests will be combined for each country to determine Team medals. In the provisional team standings, Canada is currently in seventh place with a score of 134.672. Denmark is leading with 282.583, France follows in second with 273.719 and Australia is holding third on 270.360. Para-dressage competition will wrap with Freestyle tests for all Grades on Sept. 16.

For more information on para-dressage at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, including the full schedule of equestrian competition and live results, please visit www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/equestrian. Further information on the Canadian Equestrian Team can be found at www.equestrian.ca.

PHOTO – Canada’s Lauren Barwick kicked off her fourth consecutive Paralympic Games on Sept. 13 with a score of 69.265% for seventh place in the Grade II Team Test aboard Onyx at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

PHOTO – Roberta Sheffield of Lincolnshire, GBR and Double Agent returned to the ring on Sept. 13 at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games to finish in 14^th place in the Grade III Individual Test.

ALL PHOTO CREDITS - © Jon Stroud - www.jonstroudmedia.com