In addition to qualifying scores in the Individual and Team tests, she took fourth place in the Freestyle to Music class. With her hearing impairment, this trial proved to be quite a challenge, but one that she met very successfully. Imagine guiding a horse to gallop in time to music that you can't hear. Tan relied on her feeling of the horse's movements and her memorization of countless rehearsals to make her mark.
The 29-year-old works in the mental health field in England. As a youngster, she had trouble managing her movements, and struggled with walking and sitting. She began riding at age 5 as a form of physiotherapy, and has shown marked improvements in controlling her motor skills. Now, even driving is a feat she has accomplished.
Tan rides in the Individual Freestyle Test next, on the evening of September 11. "I will get him [her horse, Nothing To Lose] more forward-going. I have chosen South American music with an Oriental touch because I think that music will suit my horse," she said. For a rider who cannot hear the music, this is a testament to Tan's ability to rely on her heart rather than her ears.
(BOCOG September 11, 2008)