Finding the perfect partnership in para dressage can be a daunting task, as both horse and athlete need to communicate and understand each other in ways that differ from able body riding. The best para dressage horses are intelligent, compassionate, and of course competitive in nature, but also genuine. For U.S. Paralympian Fiona Howard, she knew Diamond Dunes was special from the moment she sat on him for the first time. “Dunes,” as he’s affectionately known around the barn, made his competition debut with Howard in early 2024, and after just a few competitions together, their trajectory towards the top of the sport was evident. Howard had big dreams but was just getting her strength back and only recently started to ride competitively again because of her health. The pair entered their first FEI Para Grade II competition just a few months before the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, France, and developed a partnership which would quickly shoot them to the top of the sport and showcase the power of an incredible para partnership.
“He has such a big personality. I fell in love with him on day one,” said Howard of the 2013 Hanoverian gelding (De L’Or x Wolkentanz), owned by Dressage Family LLC and Hof Kasselmann and cared for by Jacqueline Bohme.“The first time I rode him, he tried so hard and kept looking for the right answer. That’s when I knew he was special.”
Before Dunes, Howard’s riding career began in Great Britain, where she was born and raised by her American mother and British father. She started riding at age three and grew up participating in jumping, eventing, polocrosse, and polo through her local Pony Club. Her focus eventually shifted when a family friend introduced her to reining, and she had the opportunity to qualify for the FEI European Reining Championship for Juniors and Young Riders. Howard was the youngest rider in the competition when she represented the British Junior Reining Team and earned a bronze medal in 2013.
At age 11, Howard started showing signs of dystonia, a neurological movement disorder causing involuntary muscle contractions. The setback, however, would not keep her from pursuing her passion for horses and sport. After lengthy hospital stays and numerous surgeries became regular obstacles, in 2022, Howard finally returned to the international stage, this time in a new discipline and representing a new country, beginning her para dressage career as a Grade II athlete.
Diamond Dunes entered Howard’s life at the perfect time, and their partnership quickly took shape. After laying a strong foundation for herself with former partner, Jagger, Dunes offered a step up competitively for Howard in Grade II, one of the strongest and most competitive grades internationally. The pair impressed in both the U.S. and Europe, collecting wins on both sides of the Atlantic, ultimately earning their selection to their first U.S. Paralympic Dressage Team for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
On the sport’s biggest stage, and in a historic showing, Howard and Dunes demonstrated just how far their new partnership had come. The pair captured two individual gold medals in the Grade II FEI Grand Prix Individual Test and FEI Grand Prix Freestyle with world-record breaking performances. Their results also contributed to Team USA’s historic team gold medal, and a final combined score of 235.567, the highest Paralympic team score ever recorded in para equestrian competition.
“He tries every day for me, and I trust him completely,” Howard said. “My body does not do what I tell it to do all the time, and he does not take advantage of that. The partnership is obvious every time we enter the ring.”
Following their remarkable 2024 season, Howard has faced a challenging stretch away from the international spotlight as she again navigated intensifying health challenges and surgeries. Throughout her time away from the saddle, the goal of reaching the 2026 FEI Para Dressage World Championships in Aachen, Germany, remained on the horizon and a needed motivator, but Howard approached her return with a focus on appreciating each step rather than looking too far ahead.
“We had a really great year in 2024, and we had a great showing at the Games. While we didn’t have any championships in 2025, it was another great year for us,” Howard reflected. “Coming into 2026, I was looking at Aachen but focusing on every competition as it came and enjoying the journey.”
Her focused and thoughtful approach to both her health and their training this year has carried Howard and Dunes to a successful return to international competition, which at one point, Howard wasn’t sure would be possible. As members of the U.S. Para Dressage Team at the Hagen CPEDI3*, the pair helped secure team gold, and set another bar for themselves, earning a new personal best in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test B II, scoring an 80.833% to top the class.
Now, Howard and Dunes are on the championship stage together once again, adding another milestone to their remarkable journey. The pair are representing the U.S. Para Dressage Team in Grade II at the 2026 FEI Para Dressage World Championship in Aachen, Germany.
After everything it took to make it to Aachen, the opportunity to simply compete with Dunes carries a deeper meaning for Howard, while their partnership remains the fuel to her fire to continue challenging herself and her body.
“Every competition I get to do on him is very special. My biggest goal is to enjoy the moment, enjoy the journey, and create memories,” Howard said of her aspirations in Aachen. “I’ve had a tough 18 months with my health, so it’s special to be here with Dunes. It’ll be hard to ever have another horse like him.”