 2000 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Hird | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | 
Australia |
| Born | 25 February 1971 (age 53) Kew, Victoria, Australia |
Medal record | |
Marita Hird (born 25 February 1971) [1] is a Paralympic equestrian competitor from Australia. She won a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Games in the Mixed Dressage – Freestyle grade III event. [2]
Personal
Hird was born in Kew, Victoria. [1] She was a jockey until 1993 when she fell from her horse during a race. [3] Hird broke her neck in three places [4] and was advised that she was an incomplete quadriplegic. [3] However, after nine months Hird learned to walk again and began riding horses as a form of therapy. [3]
Sporting career
After being encouraged to compete in dressage, Hird won bronze at the World Championships in Aarhus Denmark. [5] She went on to win bronze in the Mixed Dressage - Freestyle grade III event at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney. [1] Hird also represented Australia at the 2004 Paralympics where she just missed out on a medal. [3] At the 2006 Pacific Rim Championships, held in Vancouver, Hird won three silver medals. [3] [5] She credits some of her success to Manolo Mendez, who gave her guidance. [5]
References
- ^ a b c Australian Media Guide : 2000 Paralympic Games. Sydney: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2000.
- ^ "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Marita Hird". The Australian Equestrian Federation - South Australian Branch. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ^ "The Current Equestrian Paralympic Preparation Squad". Riding For the Disabled Association Australia. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ^ a b c "Marita Hird". Dubbo Eventing & Showjumping Association. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
External links
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- 1971 births
- Living people
- Australian female equestrians
- Paralympic equestrians for Australia
- Paralympic bronze medalists for Australia
- Paralympic medalists in equestrian
- Equestrians at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
- People from Kew, Victoria
- Sportspeople from Melbourne
- Sportswomen from Victoria (state)
- Australian Paralympic medalist stubs
- Australian equestrian biography stubs