Sophie Wells (born 5 May 1990) is a British

para-equestrian Para-equestrian is an equestrian sport governed by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), and includes two competitive events: One is para-equestrian dressage, which is conducted under the same basic rules as conventional dres ...

who won three medals at the

2012 Summer Paralympics The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Ga ...

, and 2 Golds and 1 Silver at the

2016 Rio Paralympics ) , nations = 159 , athletes = 4,342 , opening = 7 September , closing = 18 September , opened_by = President Michel Temer , cauldron = Clodoaldo Silva , events = 528 in 22 sports , stadium = Maracanã , sum ...

, and most recently Team Gold & Individual Silver at the

2020 Tokyo Paralympics The , branded as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, was an international multi-sport parasports event held from 24 August to 5 September 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. They were the 16th Summer Paralympic Games as organized by the International Paralympic ...

Personal life

Wells was born on 5 May 1990 in

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

, England. She was born with

amniotic band syndrome Constriction ring syndrome (CRS) is a congenital disorder with unknown cause. Because of the unknown cause there are many different, and sometimes incorrect names. It is a malformation due to intrauterine bands or rings that give deep grooves in, ...

and as a result she has no feeling or little movement in her feet and has lost numerous fingers. Because of her disability she competes in the Grade V Paralympic classification, the classification for riders with the lowest level of physical disability. Wells competed her GCSEs and 3 A-levels (Biology, Physics & Sport) at Sir Robert Pattinson Academy in 2008, and started at the University of Lincoln doing Sport & Exercise Science, however left when entering into Year 2, to focus on the London 2012 Paralympics. Wells is currently studying for a Post Graduate Diploma and UKCC Level 4 in Coaching through the University of Gloucester.

Equestrianism

Wells took up riding at the age of eight and begin competing in

dressage Dressage ( or ; a French term, most commonly translated to mean "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined by ...

at the age of twelve. In 2008, she won the junior international class at

Hickstead Hickstead may refer to: * All England Jumping Course at Hickstead The All England Jumping Course at Hickstead, known widely as Hickstead, is an equestrian centre in West Sussex, England, principally known for its showjumping. It hosts two int ...

U21 International, becoming the first disabled rider to win an able-bodied international event. She was named as the first reserve rider for

Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Great 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. The team was made up of athletes ...

in Beijing, China, but withdrew when her horse was found to have a tumour on its foot. At the 2009 European Championships in

Kristiansand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporati ...

, Norway, she won three gold medals; with her horse Pinocchio she won the individual and team grade IV events and was also part of the British squad that won the team championship. At the

2010 World Equestrian Games The 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games (officially the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games) were held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. from September 25 to October 10, 2010. This was the sixth edition of the games, which ar ...

held in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...

, United States, she won gold medals in both the individual and freestyle grade IV events. She was selected as part of the dressage squad for

Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

in London, United Kingdom. Riding Pinocchio she won a silver medal in the grade IV individual event with a score of 76.323%, finishing behind Belgium's gold medallist

Michèle George Michèle George (born 2 January 1974 in Ostend) is a Paralympic equestrian of Belgium. She won two gold medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, a gold and one silver at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, and another two gold medals at the 2020 Summer Pa ...

, who scored 77.065%. Wells's result helped to secure a gold medal for the British squad, which also included

Sophie Christiansen Sophie Margaret Christiansen, CBE (born 14 November 1987) is an English equestrian who has competed in four successive Paralympic Games. In 2012 and 2016 she gained three gold medals at the Paralympics.Deborah Criddle Deborah Criddle MBE (born 10 May 1966) is a British para-equestrian who won three gold medals at the 2004 Summer Paralympics and three medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics. Personal life Criddle was born on 10 May 1966 in Taunton, Som ...

and

Lee Pearson Sir David Lee Pearson (born 4 February 1974) is a 14-times Paralympic Games gold medallist, having represented British para-equestrianism in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo. Over the course of his career he has won 30 gold me ...

, in the team championship. She won her second silver medal of the Games in the freestyle grade IV event, where she scored 81.150%, but was again beaten by George of Belgium. Wells was appointed Member of the British Empire (MBE) in the

2013 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2013 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebra ...

for services to equestrianism and

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE) in the

2022 New Year Honours The 2022 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebrations ...

, also for services to equestrianism. Wells has never wanted her disability to define or restrict her, wanting to prove its about ability - not disability. Wells was the first Para rider to compete in both able bodied and para major championships in the same year (2010 & 2011). She competed at Grand Prix nationally and Internationally in U25 and Senior level on Pincchio, and nationally on Valerius & Diadem.

Medals and major championships

2007: World Para Dressage Championships; Hartpury - UK; Non-medallist selection; 6th place Freestyle; Riding Seymours Shadow, owned by Carolyn Alston 2008: Paralympics Games; Beijing - China; 1st Reserve with call up unable to compete due to horse injury; Riding Touchdown M: owned by Nicola & Mervyn Wells 2009: Para European Championships; Kristiansand - Norway; Team Gold, Individual Gold, Freestyle Gold; Riding Pinocchio: owned by Jackie & Neil Walker 2010: World Equestrian Games; Kentucky - USA; Individual Gold, Freestyle Gold; Riding Pinocchio: owned by Jackie & Neil Walker 2010: Young Rider European Championships (able bodied): Kronberg - Germany: 24th Team Test, 18th Individual: Riding Pinocchio owned by Jackie & Neil Walker 2011: Para European Championships; Moorsele - Belgium; Team Gold, Individual Gold, Freestyle Gold; Riding Valerius: owned by Sophie Wells 2011: Young Rider European Championships (able bodied); Broholm - Denmark; 14th Team, 16th Individual: Riding Pinocchio owned by Jackie & Neil Walker 2011: Young Rider World Cup Final (able bodied); Frankfurt - Germany; 6th Freestyle 2012: Paralympic Games; London UK; Team Gold, Individual Silver, Freestyle Silver; Riding Pinocchio: owned by Jackie & Neil Walker 2013: Para European Championships; Herning - Denmark; Team Gold, Individual Gold, Freestyle Gold; Riding Valerius: owned by Sophie Wells 2014: World Equestrian Games; Caen - France; Team Gold, Individual Silver, Freestyle Silver; Riding Valerius: owned by Sophie Wells 2015: Para European Championships; Deauville - France; Team Gold, Individual Silver, Freestyle Silver; Riding C Fatal Attraction: owned by Charlotte Hogg 2016: Paralympic Games; Rio - Brazil; Team Gold, Individual Gold, Freestyle Silver; Riding Valerius: owned by Sophie Wells 2017: Para European Championships; Gothenburg - Sweden; Team Gold, Individual Silver, Freestyle Gold; Riding C Fatal Attraction: owned by Charlotte Hogg 2018: World Equestrian Games; North Carolina - USA; Team Silver, Individual Gold, Freestyle Gold; Riding C Fatal Attraction: owned by Charlotte Hogg 2019: Para European Championships; Rotterdam - The Netherlands; Team Silver, Individual Silver, Freestyle Silver; Riding C Fatal Attraction: owned by Charlotte Hogg 2020: Corona Virus Pandemic - Tokyo 2020 postponed 2021: Paralympic Games; Tokyo - Japan; Team Gold, Individual Silver, Freestyle Silver; Riding Don Cara M: owned by Rowland & Maria Kinch Totalling 34 medals at 12 consecutive Para Championships. Wells coaches many para and able bodied clients, including Georgia Wilson (2019 European Gold & Silver Medalist, 2020 Paralympic double Bronze medallist), Erin Orford and Izzy Palmer.

References

External links

* * *Sophie Well
www.sophiewells.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, Sophie 1990 births Living people British female equestrians Paralympic equestrians of Great Britain Paralympic gold medalists for Great Britain Paralympic silver medalists for Great Britain Equestrians at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Officers of the Order of the British Empire Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Sportspeople from Lincoln, England English amputees Paralympic medalists in equestrian Equestrians at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics 20th-century British women 21st-century British women

Personal life

Equestrianism

Medals and major championships

See also

References

External links