Rixt van der Horst

Started: She first tried riding at age five. She began competing at age 12. (dvbfoundation.nl, 01 Apr 2014) Reason: "I loved horses and it was recommended by my physiotherapist. At first I rode without a saddle with someone behind me to hold me or I would have fallen off. My hips are in the wrong position, so it was not good to ride on a saddle at first but, after a few years, I wanted to try it and it went really well." (paralympic.org, 15 Feb 2016) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Instagram profile, 25 Jul 2024; eurodressage.com, 12 Dec 2023) Awards: In 2014 she was named the Paralympic Athlete of the Year of the Friesland province in the Netherlands. (middelpuntmedia.nl, 11 Mar 2015) In 2014 she was presented with the Zilveren Sportpenning [Silver Sports Badge] in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. (omroepleo.nl, 30 Oct 2014) In October 2014 she was presented with the Gouden Speld [Golden Pin] by the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation [KNHS]. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Sep 2020) In 2014 she was named the Rabo Talent of the Year. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Sep 2020; chio.nl, 31 Jan 2015) Additional Info: AMBASSADOR She has served as an ambassador of the Foppe Fund, which assists impaired young people in sport. She has also served as an official Team Netherlands ambassador for the Royal Dutch Equestrian Sports Federation [KNHS], including at the 2019 European Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. She carried out a similar role for the Frisian Para Sport Hero project. (LinkedIn profile, 25 Jul 2024; rixtvanderhorst.nl, 19 Jul 2021; Instagram profile, 19 Jul 2021) FURTHER EDUCATION She studied communication with NCOI Training in the Netherlands between 2018 and 2021. (LinkedIn profile, 25 Jul 2024; Facebook profile, 19 Jul 2021; rixtvanderhorst.nl, 19 Jul 2021)