Natasha Baker

Natasha Baker
OBE
Image of Natasha Baker smiling; she has dark brown, wavy hair and green eyes
Natasha Baker
Personal information
Full nameNatasha Louise Baker
DisciplinePara-dressage
Born (1989-12-30) 30 December 1989
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 (born 30 December 1989) is an English para-equestrian. She won six gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the Paralympic Games.[1]

Early life

Natasha Baker was born on 30 December 1989 in Hammersmith, London, England.[2] When she was 14 months old, she got transverse myelitis, a rare condition. Because of that, she has nerve damage and she cannot feel her legs.[3]

Baker started to ride horses when she was a child. She wanted to go to the Paralympic Games since 10, when she watched the 2000 Summer Paralympics on TV.[2][4]

Baker cannot use her legs, so she uses her voice to tell her horses what to do.[5]

Career

Dressage rider

Baker and Cabral ("JP"), her 11-year-old male horse, went to the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, her home city. There, they won two gold medals.[1][2][4] They also went to the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, where they won three gold medals.[1][2][4] However, on 26 February 2017, Cabral died of bacterial infection.[6]

Baker and Keystone Dawn Chorus ("Lottie"), her new mare (female horse), went to the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo and they won a gold and two silver medals.[1][2][4] They also went to the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris and they won two bronze medals.

Sports commentator

Baker is also a sports commentator. In 2017, she commentated with Rupert Bell on para-dressage grade III at the European Dressage Championships in Gothenburg.[7] She commentated on dressage competitions again in 2018 and in 2019.[3][8]

Personal life

Baker got married in June 2022.[2] She has children.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Natasha Baker". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Natasha Baker". British Paralympic Association. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Natasha Baker". Horse & Hound. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Natasha Baker". British Equestrian. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ Equnews Editorial (27 February 2017). "Rio gold medallist horse dies of bacterial infection". Equnews. Archived from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ 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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