Laurentia Tan (SGP) with Hickstead during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games © FEI / Liz Gregg

After a two-year postponement following the rescheduling of the Asian Games to 2023, the eagerly awaited FEI Asian Championships will be held this month at Pattaya (THA). That the wait is over is even sweeter for Para Dressage athletes, as it will be the first year for their sport at the event, which celebrated its launch in 2019. 

The three Olympic disciplines of Jumping, Eventing, and Dressage will be joined this time around by Endurance and Para Dressage for an even more thrilling line up at the popular global tourist destination. Sixteen nations in all will be represented, with two teams and six athletes vying for medals in the Para Dressage ring. 

Three podium opportunities for three grades

Competition in Para Dressage will be held over three days, from 26 through 30 November. Athletes from Grades I, II, and III will be combined in each event and scored by the international ground jury based on test standards for their respective Grades. 

A draw prior to each event will determine the starting order for competition. A medal ceremony will follow each day’s event. 

The action kicks off with the Grand Prix A test on Wednesday, 26 November to determine who brings home the first set of Individual medals. After a day of rest, the Team competition takes centre stage. The Grand Prix B test will be used for this event to award gold and silver on Friday, 28 November.

The final day of Para Dressage competition will be held on Sunday, 30 November. An Individual Grand Prix Freestyle to music will be contested, with one more chance for three athletes to claim a spot at the prize giving. 

Rising stars and veteran athletes face off

The roster for Para Dressage at Pattaya includes both young and seasoned competitors. But each one has already achieved extraordinary results to get to Thailand this year, and the battle for fractions of a percentage will no doubt be fierce.

Three athletes from Hong Kong, China will go point to point against three from Singapore, including Laurentia Tan, who has five Paralympic medals in her trophy case. 

Tan will be competing with her Paris 2024 partner Hickstead, with whom she won a bronze medal for the Grade I Grand Prix Test B. She’ll be joined by another Grade I athlete, Gemma Rose Jen Foo (Mona Lisa), currently ranked eighth in the world individually for Grade I and also a Paris 2024 veteran in two classes. 

Rounding out the all-female Singapore team is Hilary Hui’en Su. Su, who competes in Grade III, also travelled to Paris last year and will again be paired with her Paralympic mount, Gambler. 

On the Hong Kong side, both Fleur Schrader (Jockey Club Todays Special) and Tin Chi Timothy Tsang (Jockey Club Cethegus M) will compete in Grade III. Tsang has the benefit of having participated in two FEI World Equestrian Games, whilst Schrader performed alongside him in 2018 at Tryon and participated in the 2020 Paralympic Games at Tokyo. 

Louie Lam is the third member of the Hong Kong squad, with his equine partner Jockey Club Felaini S. Ranked 12th in the world for Grade II at the moment, Lam was previously ranked fifth globally as an Under 18 athlete and enjoyed four first-place finishes in 2024 at Deurne (NED) and Addington (GBR). 

The Thai Polo Club repeats as a state-of-the-art venue

Once again, the Thai Polo Club will host the FEI Asian Championships at its stunning facilities just outside Pattaya and only 90 minutes from the capital city of Bangkok. The club was founded by Harald Link, President of the Southeast Asian Equestrian Federation, and Mrs Nunthinee Tanner, the first female polo player in Thailand. 

Within the venue’s 250 hectares of lush countryside reside polo fields, permanent Eventing Cross-Country and Endurance courses, and multiple arenas for equestrian events. Veterinary care from 15 FEI-accredited vets will be of the highest level to ensure every horse is well looked after. Spectators are certain to relish the perfect combination of an electric sporting atmosphere in a tranquil setting. 

Schedule: 

Tuesday 25 November: First Horse Inspection / Familiarisation

Wednesday 26 November: Individual Competition - Grand Prix A (All Grades)

Thursday 27 November: Rest Day

Friday 28 November: Team Competition - Grand Prix B (All Grades)

Saturday 29 November: Second Horse Inspection / Sound Check

Sunday 30 November: Individual Competition - Grand Prix Freestyle (All Grades)

Fans can watch Para Dressage and all other disciplines competing in the FEI Asian Championships at Pattaya live on FEI TV/ClipMyHorse. 

Start lists and full results will be available here.