A Maltese-Australian woman has won gold in a Paralympic equestrian event, making it an even bigger achievement by becoming the first rider to beat British champion and nine-time gold medallist Lee Pearson.
Joann Formosa, 51, could not believe it when on Saturday she went down in Paralympic Games history as the first rider to beat the event’s 38-year-old firm favourite and one of Great Britain’s most successful dressage riders.
This means that for the first time in 12 years, Mr Pearson’s record of three golds at every Paralympic Games has come to an end, after placing second to Ms Formosa in the Grade 1b individual championship test dressage.
“I can’t believe it, I really can’t. I’m very emotional. I came here to do a job and I’ve done it,” said Ms Formosa, who has spinal cord and nerve damage following an accident while riding.
“I think I will probably pass out when I realise what I have achieved. I came here to win. I wanted gold and I knew my horse and I could do it because we are so passionate about it.”
Ms Formosa is from Broadford, in central Victoria. Born in Melbourne, Ms Formosa’s father had left Malta for Australia at a young age, where he set up an animal farm, following in his father’s footsteps.
Ms Formosa always showed a love for animals and to date takes care of abandoned ones.
Her victory on Saturday was made all the more remarkable because she has only had her horse, Worldwise PB, for just seven months and this was her international debut with him. She will compete again today in the 1b Freestyle.
But this gold came after years of hard work.
Some 25 years ago, Ms Formosa was crushed against a gate when she attempted to open it while riding a horse at her home in Victoria. The accident left her with a severely damaged central nervous system that led to incomplete paraplegia.
Years later, she debuted for Australia at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in England but when she returned she suffered another serious horse riding accident when she was forced to jump off her horse after it bolted.
But riding for Australia at the Paralympics was her lifelong goal and she continued to press ahead.
In 2011, she was the national champion in her grade and won gold in the freestyle test and individual test at the 2011 Oceania Championships in Werribee, Victoria.