British Paralympian Sophie Christiansen Retires from Competition Sport

Great Britain

British Eight-time Paralympic gold medal winner Sophia Christiansen has announced her retirement from para sport. The 36-year old decided to end her competitive career after twenty years.

"I was once told, “when you know, you know”," she said. "I used to wonder what this meant, but now I realise that I am more excited about the possibilities of what I could do outside of the sport than doing another 4-year cycle of highs and lows as an athlete."

Christiansen was born two months prematurely with cerebral palsy and suffered from other health problems including jaundice, blood poisoning, a heart attack and a collapsed lung.[5] At the age of six she began horse riding as a form of physiotherapy at her local Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) group.

Twenty-Year Medal Filled Career

Sophie competed in four successive Paralympic Games between 2004 and 2016. Her first Paralympics were in Athens in 2004, where she won bronze in Grade I aboard a team mate's loaner horse, Hotstuff.

"I am so indebted as the whole experience changed my life," Sophie reminisced. "As a teenager with a disability, I was very shy and self-conscious about my speech impairment, but seeing these amazing disabled athletes getting on with their lives and joking about it at the same time, I wanted to be seen in this positive light too. I won an extremely unexpected bronze medal which lit the fire in me to go on and win 24 European, World and Paralympic gold medals for Great Britain."

In 2008 she won two gold medals and a silver aboard Lambrusco (by Uniform x Plesman) at the Beijing Paralympics whilst studying for a master's degree in mathematics at Royal Holloway, University of London.

In 2012 and 2016 she gained three gold medals at the Paralympics in London and Rio aboard the German bred Janeiro (by Jacquare) and Athene Lindebjerg (by Gribaldi x Diamant).

"To achieve my first clean sweep of gold medals at a home Games, London 2012, was beyond my wildest dreams. Having my brother and cousins start a chant of “We love you, Sophie!” by 10,000 spectators was just insane," she explained. "The memories still give me goosebumps! It was here that my double life as a Paralympic gold medallist with a career gave me a platform to highlight the barriers that disabled people face in society. I hope that in some way I can make a difference and create a more equitable world."

She missed out on the 2021 Tokyo Olympics when her British Sport Horse (SHBGH) bred gelding Innuendo III (by Last Minute out of Glenmarie) went lame. In 2022 she lost him to colic.

Christiansen has won numerous medals at World and European Championships, including three golds at the 2015 Europeans, two golds and a silver at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, three golds at the 2013 Europeans, two golds and a silver at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in the US, two golds and a silver at the 2009 Europeans, a gold and a bronze at the 2007 World Para Championships in the UK, and three golds at the 2005 Europeans.

Rio was Christiansen's last major Championship where rode on the British team. She continued to compete internationally through 2024 with a string of horses, including Innuendo, Die Furstin, Sirocco T and lastly Gladstone (by Bodyguard x Santano).

Retirement from Para Sport

"It goes without saying that para dressage has given me so much. Sport has empowered me to redefine what I thought was possible, to keep breaking barriers in all areas of my life," she said. "I started riding with the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) when I was 6 years old in order to help with my disability. Coming from a non-horsey family, I doubt that I would have ever sat on a horse without the RDA. People began seeing my potential as a teenager and suggested that I started para dressage at South Bucks RDA. I have always been competitive, so being able to find a sport that I could excel at was a complete game changer! South Bucks RDA guided me carefully from being classified, to competing at the RDA Nationals, to becoming selected for my first Paralympic Games at just 16 years old – three years after taking up the sport."

Sophie works as a software developer at investment bank, Goldman Sachs and as a disability campaigner. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours list by Queen Elizabeth II for her services to Para equestrian.

She stated, "I have had unbelievable experiences, met amazing people and bonded with many remarkable horses (...) In recent years, I have wanted to give back to the sport I have loved so much. Part of this was to create a community of supporters through Sophie’s Gold Club to bring people closer to the action of para dressage. Through SGC ambassadors, I have mentored up-and-coming riders, supporting them on their own journeys. I want to work alongside the RDA, British Dressage and British Equestrian to continue introducing people to the world of para dressage so that when another ‘me’ comes along, they can also achieve their dreams. You won’t get rid of me that easily!"