Sophie Wells

British para-equestrian

Sophie Wells OBE (born 5 May 1990) is an English para-equestrian. She won four gold, four silver and two bronze medals at the Paralympic Games.[1]

Sophie Wells
OBE
Image of Sophie Wells signing autographs
Sophie Wells
Personal information
DisciplinePara-dressage
Born (1990-05-05) 5 May 1990 (age 34)
Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England
Horse(s)
  • Touchdown M
  • Pinocchio
  • Valerius
  • C Fatal Attraction
  • Don Cara M
  • LJT Egebjerggards Samoa
Website
sophiewells.com Edit this at Wikidata
Medal record
Para-equestrian
Representing  Great Britain
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Paralympic Games 4 4 2
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Team
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Individual championship test grade IV
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Team
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team open
Silver medal – second place 2012 London Individual championship test grade IV
Silver medal – second place 2012 London Individual freestyle test grade IV
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio Individual freestyle test grade IV
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo Individual championship test grade V
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Individual championship test grade V
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Individual freestyle test grade V

Early life

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Sophie Wells was born on 5 May 1990 in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England.[2] She was born with a birth defect called amniotic band syndrome [en]. Because of that, she was born with less than ten fingers and she cannot move or feel her feet.[3]

Wells started to ride horses at 8, and she started dressage at 12.[2]

Career

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In 2008, Wells became the first disabled rider to win an international dressage competition for non-disabled riders.[2][3] She was going to go to the Beijing Paralympic Games, but her horse, Touchdown M, got a tumour in his foot.[3] The horse survived (became healthy again).

In 2012, Wells and the horse Pinocchio went to the London Paralympic Games, where they won a gold and two silver medals.[1][2] In 2016, she won a two gold and a silver medal at the Rio Paralympic Games with the horse Valerius.[1][2] In 2021, at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, Wells and the horse Don Cara M won a gold and a silver medal.[1][2] In 2024, she and the horse LJT Egebjerggards Samoa ("Diana") won two bronze medals at the Paris Paralympic Games.[4]

Personal life

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Even though she won ten Paralympic medals in equestrian, Sophie Wells is allergic to horses.[3]

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Sophie Wells". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Sophie Wells MBE". British Paralympic Association. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Garrett, Tony (1 September 2012). "13 Questions: Paralympian Sophie Wells, dressage". Ouch!. BBC. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  4. Williams, Oscar (7 September 2024). "'I'm really proud': Sophie Wells' brilliant Paris 2024 bronze brings her remarkable medal collection to 40". Horse & Hound. Archived from the original on 7 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.

Other websites

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