Natasha Baker

Natasha Baker
OBE
Image of Natasha Baker smiling; she has dark brown, wavy hair and green eyes
Natasha Baker
Personal information
Full nameNatasha Louise Baker
DisciplinePara-dressage
Born (1989-12-30) 30 December 1989 (age 36)
Hammersmith, London, England
Horse(s)
  • Cabral ("JP") [en] (2001–2017)
  • Sookie St. James
  • Mount St John Diva Dannebrog
  • Keystone Dawn Chorus ("Lottie") (2011–present)
Website
natasha-baker.com Edit this at Wikidata
Medal record
Para-equestrian
Representing  Great Britain
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Paralympic Games 6 2 2
World Games 1 3 0
Total 7 5 2
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Individual championship test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Individual freestyle test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Individual championship test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Individual freestyle test grade II
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Team
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team open
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo Individual championship test grade III
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo Individual freestyle test grade III
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Individual championship test grade III
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Individual freestyle test grade III
World Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Caen Team
Silver medal – second place 2014 Caen Individual championship test grade II
Silver medal – second place 2018 Tryon Individual championship test grade III
Silver medal – second place 2018 Tryon Team

Natasha Louise Baker (born 30 December 1989) is an English para-equestrian. She won six gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the Paralympic Games.

Early life

Natasha Baker was born on 30 December 1989 in Hammersmith, London, England. When she was 14 months old, she got transverse myelitis, a rare condition. Because of that, she has nerve damage and she cannot feel her legs.

Baker started to ride horses when she was a child. She wanted to go to the Paralympic Games since 10, when she watched the 2000 Summer Paralympics on TV.

Baker cannot use her legs, so she uses her voice to tell her horses what to do.

Career

Dressage rider

Baker and Cabral ("JP") [en], her 11-year-old male horse, went to the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, her home city. There, they won two gold medals. They also went to the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, where they won three gold medals. However, on 26 February 2017, Cabral died of bacterial infection.

Baker and Keystone Dawn Chorus ("Lottie"), her new mare (female horse), went to the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo and they won a gold and two silver medals. They also went to the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris and they won two bronze medals.

Sports commentator

Baker is also a sports commentator. In 2017, she commentated with Rupert Bell on para-dressage grade III at the European Dressage Championships in Gothenburg. She commentated on dressage competitions again in 2018 and in 2019.

Personal life

Baker got married in June 2022. She has children.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Natasha Baker". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Natasha Baker". British Paralympic Association. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Natasha Baker". Horse & Hound. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Natasha Baker". British Equestrian. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  5. ↑ OIS (25 August 2021). "Great Britain's Natasha Baker makes all the right sounds as 'horse whisperer'". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  6. ↑ Equnews Editorial (27 February 2017). "Rio gold medallist horse dies of bacterial infection". Equnews. Archived from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  7. ↑ Howell, Robert (29 August 2017). "Natasha Baker: From competitor to commentator". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  8. ↑ Howell, Robert (12 April 2019). "Natasha's New Direction". International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2024.

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