Can Brits upset Dutch dominance again?

The Brits will head to Paris as underdogs, but it will be an enticing battle at the top

- Oscar Williams

BRITAIN has a stellar dressage record at the Paralympics and has won team gold at every Games since the discipline joined the programme in Atlanta in 1996 – but the tides are turning.

In 2018 British dominance and a 22-year unbeaten streak were broken by the Netherlands who took gold at the World Equestrian Games, relegating the Brits to silver by 0.6%. At the European Championships the following year the Dutch won gold again, extending their margin of victory over the British to almost 6% this time.

All of that meant that the British team went to the Tokyo Games as underdogs. With an inexperienced line-up of horses – all of whom were making their championship debut – the pressure was off with much of the press billing it as an opportune warm-up for Pairs.