Lee Pearson

For the Australian tennis player, see Lee Pearson (tennis).

Sir David Lee Pearson (born 4 February 1974) is a 14-times Paralympic Games gold medallist, having represented British para-equestrianism in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo.^[1] Over the course of his career he has won 30 gold medals at European, World and Paralympic level.

Sir Lee Pearson CBE
Pearson in 2008
Personal information
Full name	David Lee Pearson
Discipline	Para-dressage
Born	4 February 1974 (1974-02-04) (age 51) Cheddleton, England
Horse(s)	Gentleman Zion B. Grandeur Styletta Roughcote Jupiter Breezer
Medal record Para-equestrian Representing  Great Britain Event 1st 2nd 3rd Paralympic Games 14 2 1 Paralympic Games 2000 Sydney Mixed dressage championship grade I 2000 Sydney Mixed dressage freestyle grade I 2000 Sydney Mixed dressage team open 2004 Athens Individual championship test grade I 2004 Athens Individual freestyle test grade I 2004 Athens Team 2008 Beijing Individual championship test grade Ib 2008 Beijing Individual freestyle test grade Ib 2008 Beijing Team 2012 London Team 2016 Rio Individual freestyle test grade Ib 2020 Tokyo Individual championship test grade II 2020 Tokyo Individual freestyle test grade II 2020 Tokyo Team 2012 London Individual championship test grade Ib 2016 Rio Individual championship test grade Ib 2012 London Individual freestyle test grade Ib

He is called the "Godfather" of para-dressage.^[1][2]

Biography

Lee Pearson was born in Cheddleton, England, with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita^[3] and first came to public attention in 1980, when British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher carried him up stairs in 10 Downing Street having awarded him a "Children of Courage" medal.^[2]

Pearson turned professional after he was inspired by the Atlanta Olympics. He won three gold medals in the championship dressage, freestyle dressage, and team dressage events at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Paralympics.^[2] With his horse Gentleman, he won gold in the team dressage event at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, silver in the championship dressage and bronze in the freestyle.^[4]

He noted after his failure to win gold in the freestyle competition in London that he had been voted down by the British judge, but said that he would compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, on a different horse named Zion.^[5]

He and his home-bred horse Breezer^[2][3] won three gold medals at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.^[1]

Competition record

Competition	Venue	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1999 World Championships	Denmark	3	0	0	3
2000 Paralympic Games	Sydney	3	0	0	3
2002 European Championships	Portugal	3	0	0	3
2003 World Championships	Belgium	2	0	0	2
2004 Paralympic Games	Athens	3	0	0	3
2005 European Championships	Hungary	1	2	0	3
2007 World Championships	Hartpury	3	0	0	3
2008 Paralympic Games	Beijing	3	0	0	3
2010 FEI World Equestrian Games	Lexington	3	0	0	3
2012 Paralympic Games	London	1	1	1	3
2014 FEI World Equestrian Games	Caen	3	0	0	3
2015 European Championships	Deauville	1	2	0	3
2016 Paralympic Games	Rio de Janeiro	1	1	0	2
2018 FEI World Equestrian Games	Tryon	0	1	0	1
2020 Paralympic Games	Tokyo	3	0	0	3
2022 FEI World Championships	Herning	0	1	1	2
Paralympics total		14	2	1	17
World Championship total		14	2	1	17
European Championships total		5	4	0	9
Overall total		33	8	2	43

Honours

Pearson was awarded an honorary Doctorate from Staffordshire University in July 2005.^[6]

He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2001 New Year Honours for services to disabled sports,^[7][8] Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2005 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism and to disabled sport,^[9] and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism and to disabled sport.^[10][11] He was knighted in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism.^[12]

Personal life

Lee Pearson runs his own dressage yard in Staffordshire and teaches many around the country.^[13][14] Pearson was the first openly gay member of the British team and is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.^{[2][3][15][16]} In 2020, he became a single foster parent to a 15-year-old foster son.^[17]

Selected works

Lee Pearson and Andrew Richardson, I am who I am, Worcester, 2021. ISBN 978-1910469347

See also

• 2012 Paralympics gold post boxes