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Natasha Baker

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Natasha Baker
OBE
Photo of Natasha Baker smiling; she has dark brown, wavy hair and green eyes
Natasha Baker
Personal information
DisciplinePara-dressage
Born (1989-12-30) 30 December 1989 (age 34)
Hammersmith, London, England
Horse(s)
  • Cabral ("JP") (2001–2017)
  • Sookie St. James
  • Mount St John Diva Dannebrog
  • Keystone Dawn Chorus ("Lottie") (2011–present)
Website
natasha-baker.com
Medal record
Para-equestrian
Representing  Great Britain
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Paralympic Games 6 2 2
World Games 1 3 0
Total 7 5 2
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Individual championship test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Individual freestyle test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Individual championship test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Individual freestyle test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Team
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team open
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo Individual championship test grade III
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo Individual freestyle test grade III
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Individual championship test grade III
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Individual freestyle test grade III
World Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Caen Team
Silver medal – second place 2014 Caen Individual championship test grade II
Silver medal – second place 2018 Tryon Individual championship test grade III
Silver medal – second place 2018 Tryon Team

Natasha Louise Baker OBE (born 30 December 1989) is a British para-equestrian who won 2 gold medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, 3 at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, and 1 more in the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

Early life

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Baker was born on 30 December 1989 in Hammersmith, London, England.[1] At the age of 14 months she contracted transverse myelitis, an inflammation in her spine that affected her nerve endings.[2][3] She was left with weakness and no feeling in her legs.[4]

Equestrianism

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Natasha Baker began riding horses as physiotherapists said it would help to strengthen her muscles.[3] She started riding competitively at the age of nine at her local Riding for the Disabled Association in Buckinghamshire.[5] Whilst watching the 2000 Summer Paralympics, at the age of ten, she decided she wanted to compete in the Paralympics.[1] As she lacks strength in her legs she trains her horses to respond to her voice and to movements she can make in the saddle.[6][3] She competes in the grade III Paralympic classification.

In 2011, she made her first appearance at a senior championships, competing at the European Championships held in Moorsele, Belgium, where she won gold medals in both the individual and freestyle grade II events.[1]

She was selected as part of the dressage squad for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics held in London, United Kingdom. In the individual championship test grade II event Baker, riding Cabral, an 11-year-old gelding, scored 76.857% to set a new Paralympic record for the grade II classification and win the gold medal ahead of German defending champion Britta Napel who won silver with a score of 76.000%.[7][8] She won her second gold medal of the Games in the individual freestyle test grade II. She set a new Paralympic record of 82.800% as she beat second placed Napel by over 5%.[9][10]

Baker 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.[11][12][13] She was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Hillingdon in September 2012.[14][15]

Television commentating

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Baker commentated on Para Dressage at the 2017 FEI European Championships in Gothenburg alongside Rupert Bell.[16] She then went on to commentate on Western European League Dressage World Cup later that year and continue to do so either as colour commentator or solo.[17]

She was also part of the commentary team at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games and the 2019 FEI European Championships for Para Dressage and the Dressage World Cup Finals in 2018 & 2019.[2]

Personal life

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Baker got married in June 2022 and she has a child.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Natasha Baker". British Paralympic Association. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Natasha Baker". Horse & Hound. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Bhatia, Shekhar; Alexander, Harriet; Ensor, Josie; Malnick, Edward (1 September 2012). "Paralympics 2012: Dressage dream realised for Natasha Baker". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  4. ^ "Natasha Baker Para-Equestrian Dressage". Team GBR. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Natasha Baker". British Paralympic Association. Archived from the original on 9 July 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  6. ^ OIS (25 August 2021). "Great Britain's Natasha Baker makes all the right sounds as 'horse whisperer'". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  7. ^ Topping, Alexandra (3 September 2012). "Paralympics 2012: Natasha Baker wins stunning second dressage gold". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  8. ^ Armytage, Marcus (1 September 2012). "Paralympics 2012: GB's Natasha Baker fends off strong competition to narrowly win Grade II dressage gold". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  9. ^ Armytage, Marcus (3 September 2012). "Natasha Baker wins second Paralympic dressage gold medal with record score on Cabral". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  10. ^ Hudson, Elizabeth (3 September 2012). "Paralympics 2012: Natasha Baker wins second equestrian gold". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  11. ^ "No. 60367". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2012. p. 24.
  12. ^ "2013 New Year's Honours" (PDF). Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  13. ^ "New Year Honours List for 2021" (PDF). gov.uk. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  14. ^ Snowdon, Kathryn (13 September 2012). "Freedom of borough for Hillingdon Paralympian Natasha". The Hillingdon and Uxbridge Times. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Natasha Baker - Freedom of the Borough". London Remembers. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  16. ^ Howell, Robert (29 August 2017). "Natasha Baker: From competitor to commentator". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  17. ^ Howell, Robert (12 April 2019). "Natasha's New Direction". International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
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