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Lee Pearson

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For the Australian tennis player, see Lee Pearson (tennis).
Sir
Lee Pearson
CBE
Photo of Pearson wearing three gold medals
Pearson in 2008
Personal information
Full nameDavid Lee Pearson
DisciplinePara-dressage
Born4 February 1974 (1974-02-04) (age 50)
Cheddleton, England
Horse(s)
  • Gentleman
  • Zion
  • B. Grandeur
  • Styletta
  • Roughcote Jupiter
  • Breezer
Medal record
Para-equestrian
Representing  Great Britain
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Paralympic Games 14 2 1
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Mixed dressage championship grade I
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Mixed dressage freestyle grade I
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Mixed dressage team open
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Individual championship test grade I
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Individual freestyle test grade I
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Team
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Individual championship test grade Ib
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Individual freestyle test grade Ib
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Team
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Team
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Individual freestyle test grade Ib
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Individual championship test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Individual freestyle test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team
Silver medal – second place 2012 London Individual championship test grade Ib
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio Individual championship test grade Ib
Bronze medal – third place 2012 London Individual freestyle test grade Ib

Sir David Lee Pearson CBE (born 4 February 1974) is a 14-times Paralympic Games gold medallist, having represented British para-equestrianism in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo.[1] Over the course of his career he has won 30 gold medals at European, World and Paralympic level.

He is called the "Godfather" of para-dressage.[1][2]

Biography

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Lee Pearson was born in Cheddleton, England, with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita[3] and first came to public attention in 1980, when British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher carried him up stairs in 10 Downing Street having awarded him a "Children of Courage" medal.[2]

Pearson turned professional after he was inspired by the Atlanta Olympics. He won three gold medals in the championship dressage, freestyle dressage, and team dressage events at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Paralympics.[2] With his horse Gentleman, he won gold in the team dressage event at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, silver in the championship dressage and bronze in the freestyle.[4]

He noted after his failure to win gold in the freestyle competition in London that he had been voted down by the British judge, but said that he would compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, on a different horse named Zion.[5]

He and his home-bred horse Breezer[2][3] won three gold medals at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.[1]

Competition record

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Competition Venue Gold Silver Bronze Total
1999 World Championships  Denmark 3 0 0 3
2000 Paralympic Games Australia Sydney 3 0 0 3
2002 European Championships  Portugal 3 0 0 3
2003 World Championships  Belgium 2 0 0 2
2004 Paralympic Games Greece Athens 3 0 0 3
2005 European Championships  Hungary 1 2 0 3
2007 World Championships United Kingdom Hartpury 3 0 0 3
2008 Paralympic Games China Beijing 3 0 0 3
2010 FEI World Equestrian Games United States Lexington 3 0 0 3
2012 Paralympic Games United Kingdom London 1 1 1 3
2014 FEI World Equestrian Games France Caen 3 0 0 3
2015 European Championships France Deauville 1 2 0 3
2016 Paralympic Games Brazil Rio de Janeiro 1 1 0 2
2018 FEI World Equestrian Games United States Tryon 0 1 0 1
2020 Paralympic Games Japan Tokyo 3 0 0 3
2022 FEI World Championships Denmark Herning 0 1 1 2
Paralympics total 14 2 1 17
World Championship total 14 2 1 17
European Championships total 5 4 0 9
Overall total 33 8 2 43

Honours

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Pearson was awarded an honorary Doctorate from Staffordshire University in July 2005.[6]

He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2001 New Year Honours for services to disabled sports,[7][8] Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2005 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism and to disabled sport,[9] and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism and to disabled sport.[10][11] He was knighted in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism.[12]

Personal life

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Lee Pearson runs his own dressage yard in Staffordshire and teaches many around the country.[13][14] Pearson was the first openly gay member of the British team and is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.[2][3][15][16] In 2020, he became a single foster parent to a 15-year-old foster son.[17]

Selected works

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Lee Pearson and Andrew Richardson, I am who I am, Worcester, 2021. ISBN 978-1910469347

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Lee Pearson". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Bennett, Charlie (25 August 2021). "Lee Pearson: Godfather of para dressage has eyes on Paralympic gold once again". The Independent. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b c MacInnes, Paul (26 August 2021). "'Love has to prevail': Pearson sends LGBTQ+ message of support after gold". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Paralympics 2012: Lee Pearson takes dressage bronze". BBC Sport. 3 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Pearson foiled in 11th gold bid". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  6. ^ "lee pearson results dressage horse disabled mbe obe". Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
  7. ^ "No. 56070". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2000. p. 21.
  8. ^ "Olympians and Paralympians who have received UK honours | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  9. ^ "No. 57509". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2004. p. 12.
  10. ^ "No. 58929". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2008. p. 8.
  11. ^ "Commander of the Order of the British Empire" (PDF). News.bbc.co.uk. p. 13. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  12. ^ "No. 61803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2016. p. N2.
  13. ^ "Permission granted for Sir Lee Pearson's riding lesson plan". BBC News. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  14. ^ Price, Richard (15 April 2023). "Paralympian horseman Lee's planning bid leaves neighbours long-faced". StokeonTrentLive. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Lee Pearson proves once again he's a true British icon with more Paralympic glory". The Independent. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  16. ^ Smirnova, Lena (1 June 2022). "Pride Month: Sir Lee Pearson on speaking out to create a better world". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  17. ^ "TOKYO 2020 PARALYMPICS - BRITAIN'S LEE PEARSON WINS 12TH PARALYMPIC DRESSAGE GOLD, GEORGIA WILSON TAKES BRONZE". Eurosport.com. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
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