British Paralympian Natasha Baker Steps Back from Competition

Great Britain

After an international career of 15 years in international competition sport, British Paralympic champion Natasha Baker has decided to step back from competition.

Baker last competed internationally two years ago at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris and announced her break from competition sport at the start of November 2026

Paralympic Champion

Having contracted a virus, Transverse Myelitis at just 14 months old, Natasha was left with permanent nerve damage, severe weakness in her legs, loss of balance and sensation. She decided to become a paralympic dressage rider after watching the 2000 Paralympics on television.

The 36-year old Natasha Baker began her international competition career in 2011 in Grade II aboard the Polish warmblood Cabral. She won double gold at 2011 European Para Championships and headed to the 2012 Paralympics in London as hot favourite for gold. She lived up to the expectations and secured double gold.

Four years later at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio she scored triple gold on Cabral. At the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo there was double silver and at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris there was double bronze aboard Keystone Dawn Chorus (by Dimaggio x Escudo).

She add three silvers and one gold at the 2014 and 2018 World Equestrian Games to her tally on Cabral and Mount St. John Diva Dannebrog (by Don Schufro x Brentano II). At the 2022 World Championships there was silver and bronze with Dawn Chorus. Her tally was completed by three further European Championship gold and two silver medals over the years.

TV Commentator

Alongside her career in the saddle, Baker also became a dressage sport commentator for television and live streaming.

Baker married Marc Jaconelli in March 2022 and she has two children: Joshua and Oliver.

She 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

Stepping Back

Baker announced that she is stepping back from competition sport. Natasha did so in a social media appreciation post to her parents.

"People have seen the championships, medals and celebrations. What they haven't seen is everything Mum and Dad gave up to make them possible," she wrote. "The financial sacrifices. The miles, early mornings, late nights and things they went without so I could chase my dreams. (...) Between them, they gave me everything they could and never made me feel my dreams were too big. I don't think I'll ever truly understand how much they've sacrificed and I know I'll never be able to repay them."