Pepo Puch

A real gentleman of Para dressage, Pepo Puch continues to be a major force in his sport at 53 years old. His career includes multiple Paralympic and European gold medals. The only title missing is from the Worlds; he fell just short twice at the 2018 edition in Tryon, USA. But it was a promising performance for the first season on his new horse Sailor’s Blue.

Puch won a pair of gold medals at Rio 2016 and London 2012, both in the freestyle event.

Puch is a former three day-eventer who competed at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, before a freak riding accident in 2008 left him with incomplete paraplegia. As part of his recovery, Puch rode again, using his considerable horsemanship to become a Para dressage rider.

At London 2012, Puch took the bronze medal in his grade’s individual test and then, despite a tragic family loss that week, a stunning gold in the freestyle.

Further medals came his way at the following years’ European and World Championships before an amazing 12-month period between September 2015 and 2016 saw him take both individual European titles and a gold (individual) and silver (freestyle) at Rio 2016.

Outside the competition arena, Puch runs his own chimney sweeping business and lives in Switzerland with his wife and their daughter, Lou.

*Competition grades were renamed in 2017