AACHEN, Germany--Kate Shoemaker on Vianne won the gold medal in Para Dressage Grade IV, setting a new world record of 78.889% and winning by over four points.

Kate Shoemaker on Vianne (Photo by Sarah Miller for MacMillan Photo)Anna-Lena Niehues of Germany on Vive l'Amour won the silver medal on 774.639, and Nicola Naylor of reat Britain on Humberto L won bronze on 73.639 in her World Championship debut..

"It's exciting to win medals, but what we're doing this for is for our partnership with the horse," said Shoemaker. "The medal is just the icing on the cake, but the most important thing is the horse."

 “The entire test felt harmonious, and that was the one thing I wanted,” said Shoemaker in her second FEI World Championship appearance. “I wasn't thinking about points, or scores, or medals, I was thinking, ‘How can I show this very special horse to the best of our ability today?’”

 

"I CALL VIANNE my White Unicorn," said Shoemaker. "I got the opportunity from her breeder to try her as a potential for the Paris Olympics, It's incredible to see the changes in our partnership. Today just put all the pieces together."

Left to right, silver, Anna-Lena Niehues, gold, Kate Shoemaker, bronze, Nicola Naylor (Photo by Kim MacMillan)“Coming into Paris, we were trying to figure each other out; she was 8, and one day an aid would do one thing, and the next day it did something else,” said Shoemaker, a Grade IV athlete with partial paralysis of her right leg as a result of Periventricular leukomalacia, a brain injury that occurred at birth.

“This year, we came into our own as a partnership, and it feels so easy,” said Shoemaker, 38. “I can go in there and just think about it, and the ride's going to happen. She gives me her whole heart. That's what it felt like today; she was completely one with me. I was so happy, I was crying before the final halt.”

Shoemaker got a 10 for her final halt.

"That's my first 10 in a championship," Shoemaker said.

"I competed here in Aachen earlier this year," she said. "I set a new world record in that competition too, so that gave us confidence coming into today. That was the first time Aachen included Para Dressage in its show. It was great for Aachen to include us in the competition, because we don't get that many chances to compete."

“Two gold medals in two days is a very good feeling, and for Kate to have another world record is amazing,” said Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline. “The higher grades are very technical, so for her to get a high score is difficult. We are very excited for the rest of the week.”

In Grade IV, athletes have a severe impairment or deficiency of both upper limbs or a moderate impairment of all four limbs or short stature.

Athletes are able to walk and generally do not require a wheelchair in daily life.

This grade also includes athletes having a visual impairment equivalent to B1 with very low visual acuity and/ or no light perception.