Mari Durward-Akhurst - ParalympicsGB announces para equestrian squad for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

British Equestrian Interviews

Mari Durward-Akhurst (Grade 1) will make her Paralympic Games debut in Paris. Previously a team silver medallist at the FEI Para Dressage European Championship in 2019, she now partners experienced horse Athene Lindebjerg, who contested Rio 2016 with Sophie Christiansen to win triple gold.

Durward-Akhurst, who in June became the world number one ranked athlete across all five para dressage grades, said: “I am so incredibly excited to have been selected for my first Paralympics – it’s a dream come true. I’m honoured to be riding Diane Redfern’s Athene and look forward to us competing together on the world’s biggest stage. I can’t thank everybody enough who has got us to this point.”
Full Press Release 18th July 2024
A total of around 220 athletes from 19 sports are expected to make up the British team that will compete in Paris, with further names to be announced by ParalympicsGB in the coming days. At Tokyo 2020, ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports – the highest number of any nation ever. ParalympicsGB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.

The para equestrian competition will take place from 3–7 September in the scenic grounds of the Château de Versailles, just outside of Paris.