Everything you need to know about gay equestrian Lee Pearson – the ‘godfather of Para dressage’

The Paralympics are fast approaching, and one LGBTQ+ Paralympian that you should definitely be aware of is Sir Lee Pearson.

Pearson is a 14-time Paralympic gold medallist, representing Team GB in six Paralympic games previously – Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo.

He was also chosen as a flag-bearer for the UK team at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, an honour he took very seriously both because of his disability, and his sexuality.

“I am a strong character but the only thing that makes me emotional was being voted the flag-bearer for the Great Britain team at the opening ceremony of the Rio Games in 2016…… It wasn’t about me, it was the message we sent out to other countries,” he told BBC Sport in 2021.

“I hope it sent a message out to other nations where diverse sexuality is oppressed and still not accepted and where sometimes you can even be put to death,” he added.

Over the course of his illustrious career, Pearson has won 30 gold medals at the European, World, and Paralympic level, leading to him being called the “godfather of para dressage.”

Pearson is grateful for the continued chance to compete in the Paralympics, which he considers to the ” the only place where disabled people have the opportunity to change public perception”.

In an interview with the Paralympic Heritage Committee, he said: “You know that the world is a better place when people can come up to a severely disabled person and say: ‘Well done, you are an inspiration.'”

He first took up riding in 1996 after being inspired by watching the Atlanta Olympics and Paralympic Games, seeing it as a way of “escaping a dead-end job”, according to the Independent.

“I didn’t even know they had equestrian, and I just thought maybe I can do that, if I can learn this sport of dressage,” Pearson told the Paralympic Heritage Committee.

Pearson is gay, coming out at the age of 20 just two years before he decided to embark on his equestrian career.

He was the first openly gay member of the British equestrian team and is a strong advocate for the rights of LGBTQ+ people and athletes.

What disability does Lee Pearson have?

Pearson was born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, which causes muscle weakness and joint stiffness that limits his range of motion.

He has had 15 major operations over the course of his life in relation to his disability, and now walks with crutches and splints.

When was Lee Pearson knighted?

Pearson was knighted in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism and his extensive charity work.

He is an ambassador for three NGOs and regularly volunteers at a centre for the homeless as well as being an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.

Pearson is the first Para sportsman and the first equestrian to be honoured with a knighthood by the British Crown.

Prior to that, he was awarded several honours by the late Queen Elizabeth.

Pearson was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2001 New Year Honours for his services to disabled sports and was later appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2005 New Year Honours for his services to equestrianism and to disabled sport.

In 2009, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to equestrianism and to disabled sport.

Is Lee Pearson married?

Pearson entered into a civil partnership with Lincolnshire fireman Mark Latham in 2010 but separated two years later in 2012.

He is currently single and has not remarried or been in a long-term partnership for several years.