Six-time Paralympic champion Dunham dies aged 76

Clara Bullock & Audrey Dias

BBC News, Wiltshire

Paralympic equestrian star Anne Dunham died on Sunday at the age of 76.

Ms Dunham, from Wiltshire, was a world champion rider with a career spanning 23 years.

Starting at the Atlanta Games in 1996, Ms Dunham won 10 Paralympic medals, six of them gold.

Ms Dunham had grown up with a love of horses, working in a stables from an early age, and she was determined not to give up on the sport when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 27.

Ms Dunham’s Paralympic golds included five team wins between Atlanta and Rio and an individual gold in Beijing in 2008.

She won 32 major World Championship dressage medals, including 19 golds.

Ms Dunham retired in 2017 at the age of 68.

She said it had been a “hard decision”, but she knew it was right and “time to give others a chance”.

She was awarded an OBE in the same year for services to Para-sport.

Penny Briscoe, the Paralympics GB chef de mission, said in a statement: “Anne was a wonderful, dedicated and devoted member of the Paralympics GB team whom I had the absolute pleasure of knowing since 2002.

“While her remarkable achievements over 20 years in Para dressage speak for themselves, what always stood out for me was her commitment to being her absolute best and encouraging the best from those around her.

“Anne really was a team player and represented the heart and soul of Paralympics GB with passion and professionalism.

“The world of Para sport will miss her greatly and my deepest sympathy goes out to her family and friends.”