Anne Dunham (equestrian)
Encyclopedia
Anne Patricia Dunham MBE
(born 24 September 1948) is a British
equestrian
who has competed in the Paralympic Games
.
at the age of 27 and has used a wheelchair since the age of 30. At the age of forty, when her husband sold his business, she bought a horse and began to compete.
events at the 1996 Atlanta Games
where she won a bronze medal in the individual mixed Kur trot grade II, and gold in the open team event. In the individual mixed dressage grade II she finished just outside of the medals in fourth position.
At the 2000 Summer Paralympics
, in Sydney
, Dunham was part of the team that successfully defended their title in the open team dressage event. In the individual events at the games she finished fifth both in the mixed dressage - championship grade II and mixed dressage - freestyle grade II.
The 2004 Athens Games
were Dunham's third Paralympic appearance. As part of a team with Lee Pearson
, Debbie Criddle and Nicola Tustain she won her third consecutive gold medal in the team dressage. Competing in the grade I freestyle and championship individual events she finished fifth and sixth respectively with fellow Briton Pearson winning gold in both.
Dunham went to her fourth Paralympics in 2008
. The dressage events were not held in the host city Beijing
but instead took place at the Olympic Equestrian Centre in Hong Kong
. Dunham at the age of 59, competing on her horse Teddy Edwards, won her first individual Paralympic gold medal in the championship test grade Ia and also won silver in the freestyle test grade Ia. In the team open Dunham, with teammates Lee Pearson, Sophie Christiansen
and Simon Laurens
won the gold medal. This meant that Dunham has won a gold medal in this event at four consecutive Games.
Dunham was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 24 September 1948) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
who has competed in the Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
.
Early life and disability
Whilst at school Dunham worked at a local stable in her spare time and, by the age of 16, she was running a yard of 80 horses at weekends. She has said that she "always wanted to compete" but whilst she was able to ride the horses in the stables their owners competed with them. Dunham was diagnosed with multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
at the age of 27 and has used a wheelchair since the age of 30. At the age of forty, when her husband sold his business, she bought a horse and began to compete.
Paralympic career
Dunham first competed at the Paralympics in dressageDressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
events at the 1996 Atlanta Games
1996 Summer Paralympics
The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA were held from 16 August to 25 August. It was the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million....
where she won a bronze medal in the individual mixed Kur trot grade II, and gold in the open team event. In the individual mixed dressage grade II she finished just outside of the medals in fourth position.
At the 2000 Summer Paralympics
2000 Summer Paralympics
The 2000 Paralympic Games were held in Sydney, Australia, from 18 October to 29 October. The eleventh Summer Paralympic Games, an estimated 3800 athletes took part in the Sydney programme. They commenced with the opening ceremony on 18 October 2000...
, in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Dunham was part of the team that successfully defended their title in the open team dressage event. In the individual events at the games she finished fifth both in the mixed dressage - championship grade II and mixed dressage - freestyle grade II.
The 2004 Athens Games
2004 Summer Paralympics
The 2004 Summer Paralympics were held in Athens, Greece, from September 17 to September 28. The twelfth Paralympic Games, an estimated 4,000 athletes took part in the Athens programme, with ages ranging from 11 to 66. Paralympic events had already taken place during the 2004 Summer Olympics as...
were Dunham's third Paralympic appearance. As part of a team with Lee Pearson
Lee Pearson
David Lee Pearson, CBE is a nine-times paralympic games gold medallist having represented British para-equestrianism in Sydney, Athens and Beijing. He also has six world-championship and three European titles...
, Debbie Criddle and Nicola Tustain she won her third consecutive gold medal in the team dressage. Competing in the grade I freestyle and championship individual events she finished fifth and sixth respectively with fellow Briton Pearson winning gold in both.
Dunham went to her fourth Paralympics in 2008
2008 Summer Paralympics
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao....
. The dressage events were not held in the host city Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
but instead took place at the Olympic Equestrian Centre in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Dunham at the age of 59, competing on her horse Teddy Edwards, won her first individual Paralympic gold medal in the championship test grade Ia and also won silver in the freestyle test grade Ia. In the team open Dunham, with teammates Lee Pearson, Sophie Christiansen
Sophie Christiansen
Sophie Margaret Christiansen MBE is a British equestrian who has twice competed in the Paralympic Games.Christiansen was born two months prematurely with cerebral palsy and suffered from other health problems including jaundice, blood poisoning, a heart attack and a collapsed lung...
and Simon Laurens
Simon Laurens
Simon Laurens is a British equestrian who competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics, held in Beijing, China....
won the gold medal. This meant that Dunham has won a gold medal in this event at four consecutive Games.
Dunham was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.
See also
- Equestrian at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsEquestrian at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsEquestrian at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of nine events. All events were mixed, meaning that men and women competed together.-Medal table:The following countries also competed:- Medal summary :...
- Equestrian at the 2000 Summer ParalympicsEquestrian at the 2000 Summer ParalympicsEquestrian at the 2000 Summer Paralympics consisted of mixed individual and team dressage events.- Medal summary :...
- Equestrian at the 2004 Summer ParalympicsEquestrian at the 2004 Summer ParalympicsEquestrian at the 2004 Summer Paralympics at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre was competed in the dressage discipline only. There were four grades of rider disability:...
- Equestrian at the 2008 Summer ParalympicsEquestrian at the 2008 Summer ParalympicsEquestrian at the 2008 Summer Paralympics consisted of eleven dressage events. The competitions were held in the Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Centre from 7 September to 11 September.-Classfication:...
- Great Britain at the 2008 Summer ParalympicsGreat Britain at the 2008 Summer ParalympicsGreat Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Great Britain sent a delegation of around 400, of which 212 were athletes, to compete in eighteen sports at the Games...