Georgia Wilson, the Paralympian bidding to add to her medal haul in Paris with 'best friend' Sakura

  • As Georgia Wilson and Sakura start their campaign in Versailles, Rob Shelley takes a look at what drives the dynamic duo...

Wales' Georgia Wilson is hoping to add to her medal tally when she takes to the ring today in her second Paralympic Games.

She is competing in dressage in Paris with her chestnut mare, Sakura, on the grounds of the Château de Versailles from September 3 to 7.

Three years ago they headed off for the heat in Tokyo, and came back with a couple of bronzes in the individual and freestyle.

Now, they will be competing at the arena at Versailles - their first Paralympics with an actual crowd to perform to.

So, how close is their partnership?

Well, as Abergele girl Georgia says: "It's like having a best friend. You wake up - you feed her before you feed yourself.

"When I got her, I just gelled with her, from even the first competition. she just wants to please you and she is an amazing animal."

Georgia celebrates a bronze medal alongside fellow GB teammate Lee Pearson who took the gold in Tokyo. Credit: PA Images

Georgia was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was two.

Her mum Julie says their hospital recommended trying something like horse-riding to improve Georgia's posture, balance and helping to stabilise her core.

Some of Georgia's first memories include finding herself on horseback, and it just went from there.

Even though dressage is scored like gymnastics or ice skating - the judges decide just how well you've done - when the music plays and the crowd cheers, Georgia is concentrating so much, most of the outside world stays equally outside her consciousness.

It's just her and Suki and all those hours of training.

And the competition isn't necessarily against her opponents but herself.

That's what the next few days are, sharpening all that practice to an arrow point of performance.

One thing no-one knew - until ITV and your occasionally French-speaking reporter rocked up - is that Sakura the horse obviously likes being spoken to and made a fuss of in French.

Although I should probably have used 'vous' rather than 'tu' - the more familiar form - because we'd only just been introduced. But then both Georgia and Sakura might, hopefully, have to get used to being praised in French over the next fortnight few days...