Roberta Sheffield

Started: She began riding at age four. (horsesport.com, 07 Nov 2019) Reason: "I started riding when my best friend started having lessons and I tagged along, around the age of four, rather ironically as one of the few non-disabled kids at a fantastic Riding for the Disabled Association facility. My mother bought me my first pony, an unbroken nine-year-old, when I was just six years old myself. He turned into a one-in-a-million pony, beating adults in dressage and being an amazing best friend." (horsesport.com, 07 Nov 2019) Awards: In 2024 she received the Frizzell Trophy from the British Dressage North and East Region. (Facebook page, 10 Jan 2024) She was named Owner of the Year for 2022 by the Canadian Equestrian Federation in recognition of her work with her horse Fairuza. (eurodressage.com, 27 May 2023) In 2014 she received the Disabled Athlete of the Year award from Lincolnshire Sport in England. (bertsheffieldparaequestrianrider.com, 01 Dec 2017) Additional Info: OTHER ACTIVITIES In 2019 she launched an online mentoring venture called HeartHorse Dressage. "When I was starting out on my crazy dressage journey I didn't have a mentor. I really wanted someone who understood the road I was trying to walk down, to be interested and to engage with me. Now after coaching riders for years, I decided the time was right to create something that would have been so valuable for me when I was in that earlier stage of my career. I don't seek to replace the trainer on the ground, but I can help the rider and trainer to see the forest for the trees and smooth the path of progression. It's fantastic to be part of the journey for competition riders, both able-bodied and Para, as well as those who don't wish to compete, but want more of a plan and structure to their daily training." (horsesport.com, 07 Nov 2019) CHANGING NATIONALITY She has Canadian and British citizenship. She originally represented Great Britain in Para equestrian before switching to ride for Canada in 2013. (bertsheffieldparaequestrianrider.com, 01 Dec 2017) FURTHER EDUCATION She has studied politics at Aston University in Birmingham, England. (bertsheffieldparaequestrianrider.com, 01 Dec 2017; express.co.uk, 22 Jan 2013)

Sporting Relatives: Her father is a former world champion in skeet shooting. (bertsheffieldparaequestrianrider.com, 29 Apr 2015)