Pearson admits to error in dressage

EQUESTRIAN: Nine-times Paralympic champion Lee Pearson admitted to an uncharacteristic mistake after he launched Great Britain’s bid for a fifth successive team dressage title.

Pearson posted the highest score in Grade Ib of the team event – 74.682 per cent on Gentleman. But it was not a vintage display in wet and windy conditions at Greenwich Park. Gentleman struggled for fluency in parts, while Pearson, who was born with arthrogryposis and controls the horse using his hips, picked up two penalty marks for an error of course. “That was totally my fault,” he said.

Pearson will become the most decorated Paralympian of all time – overtaking wheelchair athlete Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and swimmer David Roberts – if he can emulate his gold medal hat-tricks of the past three Games in London.