Equestrian Australia presents Emma Booth, Domestic Athlete of the Year

AWARDS | Emma Booth Para Equestrian is the winner of the 2017 EA Domestic Athlete of the Year Award Presented by Ram Trucks Australia.

26-year-old Emma Booth is a Grade III para-equestrian rider based in Langwarrin South, Victoria. She is part of the EA High Performance Gold Squad and received the prestigious FEI Against All Odds Award in 2017.
"Winning this award was recognition of the huge amount of support I received from so many amazing individuals in
the lead up to Rio 2016. I can't thank all of these people enough for making my dreams come true."

Emma first started riding when she turned 11 and in the same year entered and won a competition to own a pony for a year which “changed her life in the most incredible way possible”. The pony Emma won named “Scruffy” was bought by Emma when he was retired and now lives on the property with Mogelvangs Zidane.
In April 2013, Emma was on her way back to Victoria from Albury CIC Event in NSW with her friend Courtney and their two horses. Without warning a truck jack-knifed in front of them, hitting Courtney’s car and float which instantly killed both horses and left Emma paralysed.

This accident would have been enough to finish the equestrian dream of most people, but not for Emma! Despite her injuries, Emma started reading up on Para-Equestrian whilst in hospital and in due course was classified as a Grade II (now known as Grade III) Para Rider.

Emma had her Para-Equestrian Debut in Sydney at the start of 2014, and since then has represented Australia on multiple occasions, including the 2016 Rio Paralympics which were held on the three-year anniversary of her accident.

Emma’s major goals moving forward are to be named on the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA Team, and beyond that, the team for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Emma's 2017 achievements include Grade III Champion at Australian Dressage Championships, Sydney CDI, Boneo Classic CPEDN and Victorian Dressage Festival and grade III Individual & Team Events winner at Boneo Park Autumn Dressage Championships.

Video Courtesy of Equestrian Australia