Natasha Baker
OBE
Natasha Baker
Personal information
Born (1989-12-30) 30 December 1989
Hammersmith, London, England
Medal record
Para equestrian
Representing  Great Britain
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team open
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo Individual championship test grade III
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo Individual freestyle test grade III
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Individual championship test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Individual freestyle test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Team
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Individual championship test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Individual freestyle test grade II

Natasha Louise Baker OBE (born 30 December 1989) is a British para-equestrian who won 2 gold medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, 3 at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, and 1 more in the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

Personal life

Baker was born on 30 December 1989 in Hammersmith, London, England.[1] At the age of 14 months she contracted transverse myelitis, an inflammation in her spine that affected her nerve endings.[2] She was left with weakness and no feeling in her legs.[3]

Equestrianism

Natasha Baker began riding horses as physiotherapists said it would help to strengthen her muscles.[2] She started riding competitively at the age of nine at her local Riding for the Disabled Association in Buckinghamshire.[1] Whilst watching the 2000 Summer Paralympics, at the age of ten, she decided she wanted to compete in the Paralympics.[1] As she lacks strength in her legs she trains her horses to respond to her voice and to movements she can make in the saddle.[2] She competes in the grade III Paralympic classification.

In 2011, she made her first appearance at a senior championships, competing at the European Championships held in Moorsele, Belgium, where she won gold medals in both the individual and freestyle grade II events.[1]

She was selected as part of the dressage squad for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics held in London, United Kingdom. In the individual championship test grade II event Baker, riding Cabral, an 11-year-old gelding, scored 76.857% to set a new Paralympic record for the grade II classification and win the gold medal ahead of German defending champion Britta Napel who won silver with a score of 76.000%.[4][5] She won her second gold medal of the Games in the individual freestyle test grade II. She set a new Paralympic record of 82.800% as she beat second placed Napel by over 5%.[6][7]

Baker was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 New Years Honours, also for services to equestrianism.[8][9][10] She was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Hillingdon in September 2012.[11][12]

Television Commentating

Baker commentated on Para Dressage at the European Championships 2017 in Gothenburg alongside Rupert Bell.[13] She then went on to commentate on Western European League World Cup Dressage later that year and continue to do so either as colour commentator or solo.[14]

She was also part of the commentary team at the World Equestrian Games 2018 and the European Championships 2019 for Para Dressage and the World Cup Dressage Finals in 2018 & 2019.[15]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Natasha Baker". British Paralympic Association. Archived from the original on 9 July 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Bhatia, Shekhar; Alexander, Harriet; Ensor, Josie; Malnick, Edward (1 September 2012). "Paralympics 2012: Dressage dream realised for Natasha Baker". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "Natasha Baker Para-Equestrian Dressage". Team GBR. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  4. ↑ Topping, Alexandra (3 September 2012). "Paralympics 2012: Natasha Baker wins stunning second dressage gold". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  5. ↑ Armytage, Marcus (1 September 2012). "Paralympics 2012: GB's Natasha Baker fends off strong competition to narrowly win Grade II dressage gold". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  6. ↑ Armytage, Marcus (3 September 2012). "Natasha Baker wins second Paralympic dressage gold medal with record score on Cabral". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  7. ↑ Hudson, Elizabeth (3 September 2012). "Paralympics 2012: Natasha Baker wins second equestrian gold". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  8. ↑ "No. 60367". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2012. p. 24.
  9. ↑ "2013 New Year's Honours" (PDF). Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  10. ↑ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1044471/new-year-honour-list-2022.pdf
  11. ↑ Snowdon, Kathryn (13 September 2012). "Freedom of borough for Hillingdon Paralympian Natasha". The Hillingdon and Uxbridge Times. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Natasha Baker - Freedom of the Borough". London Remembers. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  13. ↑ International Paralympic Committee. "Natasha Baker: From competitor to commentator"
  14. ↑ Federation Equestre Internationale. "Natasha's New Direction"
  15. ↑ Horse and Hound
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