Rihards Snikus

Started: He began riding at age nine. (la.lv, 24 Aug 2012) Reason: "I started riding to improve my health and coordination. My first coach, Olga Sellere, saw that I was able to do something more than just hobby riding and so my first competitive ride, and win, was in 2008 at the first ever Latvian Para dressage competition." (paralympic.org, 21 Jun 2019) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (fei.org, 23 Dec 2023) Milestones: He claimed Latvia's first gold medal in Para equestrian dressage at the world championships by winning the grade I individual competition at the 2022 World Championships in Herning, Germany. (SportsDeskOnline, 16 Jan 2023; fei.org, 22 Dec 2022; paralympic.org, 15 Aug 2022) He became the first Latvian athlete to compete in equestrian at the Paralympic Games when he participated at the 2012 Games in London. (SportsDeskOnline, 12 Jun 2020; draugiem.lv, 30 Jul 2012) Awards: He and athletics competitor Diana Krumina were Latvia's flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (medias.paris2024.org, 28 Aug 2024) In 2015 and 2016 he was named among three Best Para Dressage Riders by the Latvian Equestrian Federation. (leflatvia.lv, 07 Jan 2017, 16 Jan 2016) In January 2013 he was named Paralympic Rider of the Year at a ceremony in Latvia. (delfi.lv, 22 Jan 2013) Additional Info: DISC JOCKEY He is an active DJ in Latvia. "It's my second love behind horses. It's a hobby but I think of the horse dancing and I make others dance too, it unites both. It started when I was very small, and I discovered live broadcasts from nightclubs in Riga [in Latvia] on the radio. I started to listen to those and record them too. And then at my first school disco I watched how the DJ played and then started to save my money to buy equipment and records. Those I have played for say I do it very well and I get hired a lot for weddings, parties, discos, and sports events. But if you asked me if I'd rather be the greatest DJ in the world, or the greatest Para dressage rider in the world, I'd say definitely the greatest rider. Sport is my main priority." (Facebook page, 21 Jan 2024; fei.org, 31 Oct 2023; riesenbeck2023.com, 09 Sep 2023; jauns.lv, 14 Aug 2023; paralympic.org, 21 Jun 2019)