US Para Dressage Team Head Coach Michel Assouline accompanies L to R, Rebecca Hart, Kate Shoemaker, and Fiona Howard to the 2024 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremonies in Paris. Not pictured is team rider Roxanne Trunnell. PC: Michel Assouline
As the highest-scoring U.S. Para Dressage riders in history prepare to make their debut next week at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Versailles, it's a perfect time to reflect on what Kate, Becca, Roxy, and Fiona truly represent.
These remarkable athletes would be the first to tell you that they embody something far greater than themselves or their magnificent horses—Floratina, Vianne, Fantastico H (affectionately known as Fanta), and Diamond Dunes. They represent courage, tenacity, hard work, grit, and bravery—the very qualities that have propelled them to the pinnacle of their sport. More importantly, these qualities have enabled them to proudly represent the United States on the world stage.
Any top athlete will tell you that the steps from the ground to the top of the podium might be few, but those steps represent years of relentless effort, overcoming disappointment, failure, injury, and numerous setbacks before achieving victory. Along the way, these athletes have shown unwavering determination to surmount countless obstacles, not least of which are the physical disabilities that each has navigated in their unique way. As Khalil Gibran eloquently wrote, "Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars."
Here at Wheatland Farm, as we gather to cheer on our U.S. Para Dressage team in Paris next week, we will also be celebrating the victory they have already achieved—the prestigious honor of carrying the Stars and Stripes into the magnificent arena at the Etoile Royale. Good luck and Godspeed, Becca, Kate, Roxy, and Fiona—you have already made us all proud!
To watch the Paralympics:
Para equestrian dressage will begin on Tuesday, September 3, and conclude on Saturday, September 7. There will be live coverage of para equestrian events on the following dates:
Individual Championship: Tuesday, September 3, to Wednesday, September 4
Team Championship: Friday, September 6
Individual Freestyle Championship: Saturday, September 7
Streaming: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Sports app
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