Galway’s para rider Sarah Slattery has had a whirlwind 2023. A new horse, a new baby and a first European Championship have certainly made this a year to remember, but back in January, Sarah could never have predicted what was to come.

After making a great international debut in 2021, Sarah’s dressage journey came to a halt. “My horse Sam (San Marino M) unfortunately went lame, and we weren’t able to get him back to competitive fitness. I was looking for another horse but couldn’t find anything suitable, and then I became pregnant. I did keep searching, but I need to be able to try the horses myself to know if the partnership can work around my requirements. I was still hacking Sam for my own enjoyment and to keep up my fitness in the saddle, but I also didn’t want to get on an unknown horse.”

Chemotherapy

Sarah was diagnosed with cancer in her left wrist at just eight years of age. Chemotherapy and surgery meant that Sarah made a full recovery, but her left arm remains compromised. Tendons and ligaments from her leg were used to replace those removed from her arm, leaving her arm weaker and with a shortened bicep muscle. Sarah cannot form a fist with her left hand, but using looped reins means that she can comfortably manage around this.

Looped reins are not permitted under standard dressage rules, so Sarah was graded as a para rider, which then allowed the use of looped reins in competition. Sarah needs horses which are very light in the rein and have the right kind of temperament to be suitable for a para rider. “It is so difficult to find a horse that meets those specifics. A lot of dressage horses are ridden right up in to the bridle, and it means that they are too strong for me. It takes a certain type of horse to be a para horse, as they have to be able to cope with a different way of doing things around each rider’s requirements.”

In January, Sarah’s mother Linda sent her a video of a mare called Savona who was stabled in Denmark. As Sarah was by now quite heavily pregnant she was unable to try the mare herself, so Linda went over instead. Savona had competed up to Grand Prix level and was very light in the hand. At 15 years of age, she was ready to step down a couple of levels and Linda felt that Sarah and Savona would be a good match. Savona then moved to The Netherlands, to be based with Sarah’s sister, Sophie, who is an international show jumper.

Heavily pregnant

“Sophie rode Savona for me during the end stages of my pregnancy and for a while after Millie was born. She wasn’t initially sure if Savona would suit me, and many discussions were apparently had about it out of my earshot,” Sarah says, laughing. “I first sat on Savona in May, just five weeks after having Millie. It took a few weeks for us to find our feet together, but then it just clicked. I am trained by my mother, Linda, and also by Dutch trainer, Niels Bak.

“Niels had never trained a para rider before, but he is such an adaptable coach and he finds other ways of doing things. With para dressage, sometimes we have to find methods of achieving the same thing but in a less linear or classical way. However, we can still get the same result in the end.”

International show

At the end of June, Sarah and Savona competed at their first international show in Belgium, in the Grote-Brogel CPEDI3* competition. They finished third in both the Grand Prix, and in the freestyle class. Sarah then took the decision to relocate to The Netherlands for the summer, to avail of the training and competition opportunities in Europe.

Sarah Slattery and daughter Millie \ Jonathan Madden

Sarah’s husband Jonathan Madden, their daughter Harlow (13) and baby Millie also made the move, and the family based themselves at Sophie’s yard. “It took such a lot to do it. I am lucky to have a very understanding husband, and my family are so supportive. Without Jonathan, mum, my daughters and Sophie, none of this would ever have been possible.”

Sarah and Savona competed in their second international competition in July, at the Deurne CPEDI3* in the Netherlands. Further good results here led to Sarah and Savona being selected to represent Ireland at the European Championships in Reisenbeck. “I didn’t really realise it was happening until we got to the show. It was incredible. We had a team goal of finishing in the top 12, and we ended up in 10th place overall.”

Sarah’s sights are firmly set on the Paris Paralympic Games in 2024.

“It’s now or never. It has been an amazing year.”