By Elizabeth Hudson
BBC Sport in Athens |
Since his triple success in Sydney four years ago, Pearson has become an MBE, was nominated for the prestigious Laureus Sports Awards and has been a superb representative for British dressage, defending all of his three titles.
But the modest Criddle does not believe that her three dressage golds achieved on Figaro IX will change her life dramatically.
On Sunday Criddle, in her second Paralympics, added team dressage gold to her collection after taking individual dressage and freestyle grade III titles earlier in the week.
She admitted that winning a Paralympic title had been a real aim going into the Games.
"I came out to Athens knowing that if everything went to plan, I would be in with a chance of gold," she said.
"But with live animals, anything can happen and you just cannot predict it."
Criddle came home from Sydney four years ago just out of the medals after finishing fourth in the freestyle and eighth in the individual dressage and she was not part of the gold-medal winning team.
However, she marked herself out as a favourite for Athens when she won three gold medals at last year's World Championships in Belgium, and she carried that form into the Paralympics.
 |  I somehow don't think the Paralympic golds will change my life too much |
The 38-year-old, who lives in Clatworthy in Somerset, has been running a small shop and post office on the edge of Exmoor for a number of years, but she now feels her priorities may change slightly. "After the success I have had here, I am thinking about concentrating more on the riding," she said.
"But it is something I will have to discuss further over the next few weeks after I get home from Athens.
"I have a young horse at home in training as Figaro IX isn't getting any younger and I want to look towards the future.
"The standards in dressage have risen dramatically in Athens and it will be harder work again for Beijing in 2008
"More riders are riding their own horses, rather than borrowed ones and some smaller countries are making more of an impact."
Criddle's success in Athens has certainly caught the attention of the locals, and family and friends have been ringing her with congratulations after her medal-winning displays.
"It's fantastic the way that everyone has supported me," she said. "The local radio station has covered my events as well, which has been absolutely great."
She is not the only Paralympian in her area - swimmer Anthony Stephens lives in Highbridge in Somerset while athlete Darren Westlake resides in Tiverton, just over the border in Devon.
Although she admits to preferring the quiet life, Criddle is full of admiration for what her team-mate Pearson has achieved in the sport.
"Lee is far more outgoing than me and we need people like him in the sport to get the attention," she added.
"But I somehow don't think the Paralympic golds will change my life too much."
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
