(L-R) Hilary Su, Laurentia Tan, Gemma Rose Foo and chef d'Equipe Mary Joy Rivera of Singapore celebrate winning team gold during the Para Dressage Grand Prix B team championship at the Thai Polo Club on November 28, 2025 in Pattaya (THA). ©FEI/Yong Teck Lim

Singapore claimed the team gold medal in Pattaya on Friday at the FEI Asian Championships in the inaugural appearance of Para Dressage at the event. For the second day in a row, Laurentia Tan posted the high score with Hickstead, her 2024 Paris Paralympic partner. The two earned 72.791% in the Grand Prix Test B for a total of 147.66%, which gave Singapore 410.874% overall, with help from individual silver medalist Gemma Rose Jen Foo (Mona Lisa) and Hui’en Hilary Su (Gambler). 

The team from Hong Kong, China accepted the silver medal, having earned a total of 387.620�ross the two days of competition. Tin Chi Timothy Tsang and Jockey Club Cethegus M were Friday’s top scorers for Hong Kong, picking up 65.034% from the five international judges. He was joined on the podium by Lok Yee Louie Lam (Jockey Club Felaini S) and Fleur Schrader (Jockey Club Todays Special), who took the bronze medal on Wednesday. 

Singapore put pressure on from the start

The ladies from Singapore entered Friday’s competition with a 9-point lead, which they continued to expand as the afternoon at the stunning Thai Polo Club unrolled. First up, Gemma Rose Jen Foo, fresh off a trip to the podium two days earlier, showed her team meant business from the beginning. 

She and Mona Lisa demonstrated a consistent walk in their Grade I test, where the judges were looking for rhythm, horse frame, and combination harmony, in addition to performing the movements accurately. They put 69.583% on the board, which thrilled the double medalist: “It felt fantastic. She does wonderful in this heat.” 

“She may be young,” said Foo of the eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood, “but her mind is really mature. At her young age, I think we have a lot more to come.” 

First half ends with Singapore in command

Lok Yee Louie Lam was next in the ring with Jockey Club Felaini S. An error in the diagonal at the end of his Grade II test, where his horse broke into a canter, cost him a few points for a score of 62.600%. 

That left the door open for Laurentia Tan and Hickstead to close out the first half of the competition with a widening lead. Excellent rhythm and a square mid-test halt boosted their marks to put 72.791% on the leaderboard, which proved to be the top score of the day. 

Tan was glowing after her performance. “It’s the perfect partnership,” she said of her horse, with whom she’s been competing since 2022. “He’s very kind, and he’s very giving.”

“It’s the perfect partnership...He’s very kind, and he’s very giving.” 

Laurentia Tan

(SGP) 

The five-time Paralympic medalist spoke enthusiastically about the event and its venue: “It’s an amazing honour, and it’s such an amazing place to have the Asian Championships. I’m really happy!” 

Chef d’Equipe MJ Rivera was equally elated about Singapore’s lead after Tan’s test, as well as the inclusion of Para Dressage at Pattaya: “Now we can showcase the talent of our Para Dressage riders.”

One final test before triumph

After a quick break, the athletes were back for the second half of the programme, with Wednesday’s bronze medalist Fleur Schrader of Hong Kong the first of three Grade III competitors. A tack malfunction affected her test with Jockey Club Todays Special, with a score of 62.700% nearly 4 points lower than their result on Wednesday. 

Last up for Singapore, Hui’en Hilary Su showed a fantastic opening medium trot aboard Gambler to set the tone for her test. Super turns on the haunches and a strong halt at the end made up for a few rhythm breaks. When the score came in at 61.867%, it was a guaranteed win for the Singapore team. 

“I was a bit nervous actually,” said Su after the medal ceremony. “I’m just happy that my score was enough to get gold for the team.” 

Volker Eubel, trainer for the Singaporeans alongside Rivera was cautious at the opening of the championship: “You never know what can happen.” He relaxed a little after the first day’s stellar performances and wanted Friday’s efforts to bring home the gold without any undue risk, and it paid off. 

Hong Kong will be a threat in the future

Tin Chi Timothy Tsang was the last athlete of the day to ride with Jockey Club Cethegus M, known as “Gus” to his team. Although Singapore had already sewn up the gold, his score of 65.034% was the third highest of the day. 

“I was proud to be one of the Para members,” Tsang said. He’s been partnered with Gus for nearly four years. “Now it’s like a partnership, and we’re working together. 

With any luck, they may be contenders for gold at the next Asian Championships, which Fleur Schrader is already excited about: “I hope it grows with more teams.” 

It takes a great amount of work to make it to an event like Pattaya. Hong Kong team member Lok Yee Louie Lam was at a loss for words in trying to thank all the support that helped him and the others get to Thailand. 

Lam was philosophical about the miscommunication in his test that resulted in the unwanted canter: “It’s good to learn from your mistakes.” 

All of the athletes will have one more chance to leverage that education when the FEIPara Dressage Asian Championship wraps up on Sunday. The Grand Prix Freestyle to music will be another opportunity for individual medals and is sure to be a crowd pleaser when it commences at 14:30 local time. 

All competitions can be followed live on FEI TV. 

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