Massimiliano Chiatante: Back in the Saddle, Back in the Game: Paradressage as a way forward
For Massimiliano Chiatante, sport has always been part of who he is. Long before para dressage entered his life, horses and competition were already central to it. After his accident, getting back in the saddle became both a personal challenge and a way of reclaiming something that had always mattered to him.
“Para dressage was a way for me to continue living the life I had imagined before.”
That journey began with physiotherapy and rehabilitation. The goal was simple, but far from easy: to ride again and find his way back into sport.
“When I started physiotherapy and rehabilitation, getting back in the saddle became a challenge. I wanted to return to sport, and para dressage gave me that opportunity.”
What started as a personal goal has since developed into a serious international sporting career, taking Chiatante to the 2026 FEI World Championships in Aachen.
Un Euro, the horse who started it all
Every journey has a starting point. For Chiatante, that starting point in para dressage was Un Euro.
“Un Euro is a very good horse who brought me into the world of para dressage. He was an exceptionally good horse, and with him I was able to discover and begin competing in this sport.”
The European Championships became a turning point. Competing at that level made Chiatante realise that staying among the best would require the right horse, the right preparation and a strong team around him.
“The European Championships taught me that nothing can be taken for granted and nothing comes easily. If you want to stay at this level, you first need a higher-quality horse.”
That lesson shaped the next stage of his career and eventually led him to Fashion Girl.
Fashion Girl: a new partnership, a quick connection
Chiatante arrived in Aachen with a relatively new partnership. Fashion Girl had been with him for less than a month and a half, making their World Championship campaign a significant test for both horse and rider.
Yet the connection came quickly.
“She is very willing, kind and easy to work with, and at the same time she gives me confidence.”
That confidence proved important in Aachen. Fashion Girl handled the pressure of the World Championships with composure, allowing the pair to produce increasingly strong performances throughout the competition.
“She behaved extremely well here at the World Championships. She was very serious, so the relationship is very good. We have a good understanding.”
The numbers tell part of the story. Chiatante and Fashion Girl scored 71.042% in the Grade I Grand Prix A, followed by 71.458% in the team test. They saved their strongest performance for the Freestyle, where they scored 75.360% and finished fourth.
For such a new partnership, the result was significant.
Aachen: fourth place and a taste of the podium
The Freestyle was the highlight of Chiatante’s World Championships. He chose music by Ennio Morricone, bringing an unmistakably Italian character to his performance.
“As Italians, we like to use music from our own country, but it has to have an international quality. And who better than Morricone? I love his music and I am a great admirer of his work.”
The performance earned Chiatante and Fashion Girl 75.360%, placing them fourth in the world and setting a new personal best at an international championship.
The result was a source of pride, although finishing just outside the medals naturally left some frustration.
“I am very happy, but as an athlete, missing a medal by such a small margin is disappointing.”
He had arrived in Aachen believing that a podium finish was possible.
“I was absolutely convinced that I could do well and fight for the podium. I didn’t manage it here in Aachen, although I came very close. I am sure I will achieve it at the next Championship.”
There is no sense of resignation in those words. For Chiatante, fourth place is a result to build on rather than a destination.
The people behind the rider
Chiatante is also quick to point out that success in para dressage never belongs to one person alone.
“The team in para dressage is made up of many people. You work hard, just as you do in able-bodied equestrian sport.”
Family, friends and the people who work alongside him are an essential part of his journey.
“My family and my team are extremely important. Everyone I work with and everyone around me supports me in every possible way.”
For Chiatante, that support is built on trust.
“They are, first of all, friends, and they are people I can trust.”
That sense of trust becomes even more important when a partnership is still developing. Fashion Girl may have been new to Chiatante, but the wider team provided the stability needed to compete at a World Championship.
The strength to start again
Behind the international results lies a much more personal routine. There are good days, difficult days, training days and days when progress feels harder to find.
When those difficult moments arrive, Chiatante knows where to turn.
“When I have difficult days, I think about my family, my daughter, the stable and my work. Then I go to sleep, and the next day I start again.”
It is a simple approach, but it says a great deal about his character. His determination is not limited to the competition arena. It is part of the everyday work that makes competing at this level possible.
A new chapter with Fashion Girl
A fourth-place finish at a World Championship, a 75.360% Freestyle score and a partnership that has only been together for a matter of weeks give Chiatante plenty to look forward to.
Aachen showed what he and Fashion Girl can achieve. It also showed how much more may be possible as their partnership develops.
The medal was close. The ambition is clear.
“I am sure I will achieve it at the next Championship.”
For Massimiliano Chiatante, getting back in the saddle was once a challenge. Today, it is part of a much bigger sporting ambition, one that continues with Fashion Girl, his team and the belief that the next opportunity can bring them even closer to the podium.
Ph Stefano Secchi
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