By Lindsay McCall London, England, United Kingdom–August 29, 2012 – Every tear shed, every mile traveled, and every salute in the show ring over the last few years have now led to this moment at the 2012 London Paralympic Equestrian competition held in Greenwich Park. Before riders and coaches could breathe a sigh of relief seventy-eight horse and rider combinations stepped forward for the official horse inspection. Each team and individual presented their mounts at a trot in front of the competition officials including the veterinary commission and ground jury

With just 24 hours to go to the London 2012 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony, excitement and great expectations are building up in the Olympic venues dotted around the city whilst record ticket sales – over 2.2 million tickets sold – are already hailing this edition as the greatest ever. This will be the fifth time Para-Equestrian Dressage is on the programme but it is the first time it is held in a country with such a strong Para-Equestrian culture, so strong that since it became a Paralympic sport in 1996, Great Britain has held the team title on every occasion as well as leading the individual medal count by a whopping margin.

Paralympic Dressage Primer Part Three: Get to know your North American Competitors by Ellie Brimmer August 24, 2012 –Now that we are all settled in London and the horses are moving into the Greenwich Park venue today, I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at the North American competitors, so you know a little more about the local riders you may cheer for. Representing North America include a four rider team from both The United States and Canada, a three rider team from Mexico and an individual rider from the US Virgin Islands. Let’s take a look first at the United States: This years top ranked rider is Rebecca Hart, she is the 2012 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Champion and our only Paralympic veteran on our London squad.