HONG KONG: Bermudan horseman Sandy Mitchell proved this week that you do not have to be a spring chicken to compete in a world-class sporting event.
On Tuesday at the Sha Tin equestrian arena in Hong Kong, the 64-year-old became the oldest athlete at the Beijing Paralympics, when he competed against 12 other dressage riders in the Grade 1a Individual Champion Test.
On his mount, 16-year-old chestnut gelding Highland Fling, Mitchell performed a series of walking and trotting manoeuvres in front of a crowd of about 4,000 spectators.
"I made a few mistakes, but I think I did okay," he said.
The judges thought so too, and awarded him 56.6 points, enough to secure 10th place.
Born with cerebral palsy, Mitchell began riding as a child, but said he only began to take the sport seriously 15 years ago.
After watching the Bermudan team compete at the 1996 Atlanta Games, he decided he wanted to compete in the dressage event.
After several years of training, he was spotted by a national coach and was selected for the Bermudan team for the Sydney 2000 Games.
In 2003, he achieved his best ever finish - sixth place in the World Equestrian Dressage Championships for the disabled.
Mitchell said he never thinks about his age, when he is competing. "I just love to ride," he said. "It's good for me and my self-esteem. It helps my balance and makes me feel good."
Mitchell will today compete in the freestyle section of the dressage event.
