Natasha Baker Explained

Natasha Baker
Discipline:Para-dressage
Birth Date:1989 12, df=yes
Birth Place:Hammersmith, London, England
Show-Medals:yes

Natasha Louise Baker (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.

Personal life

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

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

Television commentating

Baker commentated on Para Dressage at the 2017 FEI European Championships in Gothenburg alongside Rupert Bell.[15] 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.[16]

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.

Personal life

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

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Natasha Baker . British Paralympic Association . 25 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240725232650/https://paralympics.org.uk/athletes/natasha-baker . 25 July 2024 . live .
  2. Natasha Baker . . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20240718151051/https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/tag/natasha-baker . 18 July 2024 . live . 7 August 2024.
  3. News: Paralympics 2012: Dressage dream realised for Natasha Baker . subscription . 3 September 2012 . The Telegraph . 1 September 2012 . Bhatia, Shekhar . Alexander, Harriet . Ensor, Josie . Malnick, Edward . London.
  4. Web site: Natasha Baker Para-Equestrian Dressage . Team GBR . 3 September 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120202013101/http://www.equestrianteamgbr.co.uk/rider.aspx?rider=Natasha-Baker . 2 February 2012.
  5. Web site: Natasha Baker . British Paralympic Association . 3 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160709032657/http://paralympics.org.uk/gb/athletes/natasha-baker . 9 July 2016 . dead .
  6. Web site: Great Britain's Natasha Baker makes all the right sounds as 'horse whisperer' . OIS . 25 August 2021 . en . . https://web.archive.org/web/20221207171452/https://www.paralympic.org/news/great-britain-s-natasha-baker-makes-all-right-sounds-horse-whisperer . 7 December 2022 . live . 27 July 2024.
  7. News: Paralympics 2012: Natasha Baker wins stunning second dressage gold . 3 September 2012 . London . The Guardian . Alexandra . Topping . 3 September 2012.
  8. News: Armytage . Marcus . Paralympics 2012: GB's Natasha Baker fends off strong competition to narrowly win Grade II dressage gold . 3 September 2012 . The Telegraph . 1 September 2012 . London.
  9. News: Armytage . Marcus . Natasha Baker wins second Paralympic dressage gold medal with record score on Cabral . https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120904002916/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/9517455/Paralympics-2012-Natasha-Baker-wins-second-dressage-gold-medal-with-record-score-on-Cabral.html . dead . 4 September 2012 . 3 September 2012 . The Telegraph . 3 September 2012 . London.
  10. News: Hudson . Elizabeth . Paralympics 2012: Natasha Baker wins second equestrian gold . 3 September 2012 . 3 September 2012 . BBC Sport.
  11. News: 2013 New Year's Honours . 29 December 2012.
  12. Web site: New Year Honours List for 2021. gov.uk. 29 April 2024.
  13. Web site: Freedom of borough for Hillingdon Paralympian Natasha . Snowdon . Kathryn . 13 September 2012 . The Hillingdon and Uxbridge Times . 8 December 2023 .
  14. Web site: Natasha Baker - Freedom of the Borough . London Remembers . 18 December 2012 . 8 December 2023 . en.
  15. News: Natasha Baker: From competitor to commentator . Howell . Robert . 29 August 2017 . en . International Paralympic Committee . https://web.archive.org/web/20170831004332/https://www.paralympic.org/news/natasha-baker-competitor-commentator . 31 August 2017 . live . 7 August 2024.
  16. News: Natasha's New Direction . Howell . Robert . 12 April 2019 . en . . https://web.archive.org/web/20221214172335/https://www.fei.org/stories/sport/dressage/natasha-baker-media-profile . 14 December 2022 . live . 7 August 2024.

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