Emma Booth and her partner Zidane created their own slice of Australian Paralympic history on Friday, during their impressive opening round showing at Tokyo 2020.
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The Willinga Park-based athlete and her horse became the first-ever combination to compete in two Paralympic Games, following their strong performances at Rio, which saw them secure a fifth (individual test), 13th (individual team) and ninth (team competition).
Competing in the grade III para-equestrian individual test at the Baji Koen Equestrian Park, the 30-year-old finished eighth with a percentage score of 70.059 - which qualified her for the freestyle competition on Monday.
"I am just so happy to have made it here and got through it," Booth said in a statement.
"There were definitely a few little bits, marks here and there, that we could have done a little bit better or gained a few extra marks but overall I am really happy with him and how he went.
"You always want that few extra per cent but at the end of the day I am just so happy to make it through and I am just so happy with him.
"He [Zidane] was with me the whole way and really looked after me and I couldn't have asked any more of him - he was amazing."
Denmark's Tobias Thorning Jorgensen topped the ranks on Friday, scoring 78.971.
Booth will return to the arena on Sunday for the grade III team dressage test to music from 9.15pm.
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Courtney Ward
Sports Journalist for South Coast Register and Milton-Ulladulla Times, who loves all things sport and travel. All views are my own.
Sports Journalist for South Coast Register and Milton-Ulladulla Times, who loves all things sport and travel. All views are my own.
