Sophie Christiansen announces her retirement from para dressage

One of Britain’s most successful para dressage athletes, Sophie Christiansen, has announced that it’s time to hang up her riding boots. Over the past two decades, she has amassed 30 senior championship medals, 24 of them gold, including 10 medals won across four Paralympic Games appearances.

“After a 20-year competitive career, I have decided to retire from para dressage,” announced Sophie earlier today. “I was once told, ‘when you know, you know’. I used to wonder what this meant, but now I realise that I am more excited about the possibilities of what I could do outside of the sport than doing another four-year cycle of highs and lows as an athlete.”

Sophie’s journey to the top

Sophie was born two months prematurely with cerebral palsy and suffered from a number of other health problems, including jaundice, blood poisoning, a heart attack and a collapsed lung. She first discovered her love of horses at the age of six, when she started riding with her local Riding for the Disabled Association group, South Bucks RDA, as a form of physical therapy. There, she found an outlet for her competitive nature and a sport where she could excel, leading her to become classified and compete at the RDA National Championships.

There is no bigger stage on which to make your senior championship debut than the Paralympic Games, but that didn’t deter Sophie when she was selected for the Athens 2004 Games with Nicola Tustain’s Hotstuff. Despite being the youngest athlete on the ParalympicsGB squad, she picked up a Grade 1 individual bronze medal and finished fourth in the freestyle. That same year, Sophie was voted BBC London’s Disabled Athlete of the Year for her achievements.

Her achievements in Athens lit a fire in Sophie that couldn’t be extinguished – she contested a further three Games (Beijing 2008 with The Para Training Trust’s Lambrusco III, London 2012 with her own Janeiro 6 and Rio 2016 with Di Redfern’s Athene Lindebjerg) and earned another nine medals, eight of which were gold. She was selected for Tokyo 2020 with her own Innuendo III, but had to withdraw him shortly before travelling to Japan due to a minor veterinary issue.

In addition, Sophie has represented Great Britain at four FEI Para Dressage European Championships (2005 with Pam Tottman’s Martini Maybe, 2009 with Lambrusco III, 2013 with Janeiro 6 and 2015 with Athene Lindebjerg), one FEI Para Dressage World Championship (2007 with Gill Drew’s Gazel) and two FEI World Equestrian Games (2010 with The Berkeley Group’s Rivaldo of Berkeley and 2014 with Janeiro 6).

In the 2009 News Year Honours, Sophie was awarded an MBE for services to disabled sport, which was upgraded to an OBE in 2013 for her services to equestrianism. Following her successes at Rio 2016, Royal Holloway University – where Sophie earned her MSc – introduced the Sophie Christiansen Shield to their Sports Club Awards, which is awarded to the club that goes to the greatest effort to make itself as inclusive and accessible to its members as possible. That same year, on a night she considers one of the best of her life, Sophie placed fifth at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year – the highest placed female and para athlete. In 2017, she once again appeared on the New Year Honours list, this time receiving a CBE for her services to para equestrianism.

Far more than an athlete

Sophie’s sporting skills aren’t limited to the saddle. Before she set foot on the para dressage world stage, she competed in half-marathons, winning the race for self-propelled wheelchairs at the Windsor half-marathon in 2002. Now, she’s a regular participant in the Superhero Series of disability sports events and recently started attending her local Parkrun with a running frame.

Away from her athletic career, Sophie has a first class Masters degree in mathematics, which she utilises as part of her role as a software developer for Goldman Sachs investment bank. She has also held positions on the ParalympicsGB athletes commission and classification advisory group, and is a passionate public speaker and disability rights campaigner. In 2017, Sophie set up Sophie’s Gold Club, a membership club to make the sport more self-sustainable and help future generations of para dressage riders to get ahead through education and mentorship.

“I want to work alongside the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), British Dressage and British Equestrian to continue introducing people to the world of para dressage so that when another ‘me’ comes along, they can also achieve their dreams,” commented Sophie in her statement. “You won’t get rid of me that easily!”

A lasting impact

Sophie’s time as an athlete has made a lasting impact on the people and organisations who’ve been part of her journey to the top of the sport and beyond.

Georgina Sharples, Para Dressage Performance Manager for British Equestrian’s World Class Programme: “From being the youngest British Paralympian in Athens, Sophie has dominated international podiums for more than a decade, making her one of our most successful British para dressage athletes – what a dazzling career it’s been. To have formed gold medal-winning partnerships with such a variety of horses shows true talent and it’s been a pleasure to watch her compete on the world stage over the years.

“One of Sophie’s defining characteristics has always been her total commitment to anything she puts her mind to, whether that’s her riding, her qualifications and career or tirelessly campaigning for disability rights. She’s incredibly driven and talented, with her eye firmly on the bigger picture. Despite calling time on competitive riding, I know that she’ll still be helping to develop and grow our sport from the sidelines.

“I want to thank Sophie for everything she’s done for British para dressage – she’s one of our greatest ambassadors and has taken us on an amazing journey filled with memories. Whatever comes next, I'm sure that she’ll be successful in all that she does – from planning her wedding to supporting a new generation of riders.”

Jason Brautigam, CEO of British Dressage: “Sophie’s contribution to para dressage can’t be over-stated – representing Great Britain in four consecutive Paralympic Games between 2004 and 2016, winning 10 medals and an incredible eight golds in the process, as part of an undefeated British team over that period. 

“Sophie’s achievements not only elevated our sport onto another level, but her strength, courage and resilience inspired countless others, underlined by the fact that she remains the only para dressage rider to have been nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year.  On behalf of the whole of para community, I would like to express our gratitude for all that Sophie has done for British Dressage, as we celebrate her legacy on her retirement and wish her all the best in the next chapter of her life.”

Michael Bishop, CEO of the Riding for the Disabled Association: "We at RDA are immensely proud of Sophie’s incredible achievements and honoured to have been a part of her journey to becoming a multiple gold medallist. Having represented Great Britain at four Paralympic Games and winning 10 medals, eight of them gold, Sophie remains deeply connected to her RDA roots. As Honorary Life Vice President, Ambassador for the South East Region and President of South Bucks RDA, where her para dressage journey began, she continues to champion and advocate for RDA’s mission.

Sophie has inspired countless riders, volunteers, and supporters through her work at RDA events, demonstrations, and talks. Her personal achievements will resonate for generations of aspiring Paralympians, while her campaigning has been vital in growing support for para dressage, nurturing emerging talent, and reshaping perceptions of para-sport and disability.

At RDA, we believe in focusing on what you can do, and Sophie embodies that spirit in everything she undertakes. We are proud to call her one of our own and wish her every success as she transitions from competitive sport. We eagerly anticipate her future achievements."

Image: British Equestrian / Jon Stroud Media