Rebecca Hart and Schroeter’s Romani (SusanJStickle.com)
Gladstone, N.J. – The USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship and Selection Trial for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage Team kicked off on Tuesday in the Dick and Jane Brown Arena at the USET Foundation Headquarters, with 23 of the 24 entries completing the FEI Team Tests in their respective grades and earning the first 40% of their championship score. For the majority of the day competitors, officials and spectators enjoyed picturesque weather until rain and thunderstorms rolled in for the final division of the afternoon. The final competitors of the day, Marsha Cullen and Latte, were forced to stop midway through their Grade II test because of lightning in the area. They will perform their Team Test on Wednesday morning before all entries return to ride the FEI Individual Tests.
Earning the highest marks of the day from the Ground Jury of Adrienne Pot, David Schmutz, and Kristi Wysocki and heading the field after Tuesday is Grade II rider and five-time USEF National Champion Rebecca Hart with Schroeter’s Romani on a score of 75.098.
Hart (Unionville, Penn.) and her own 11-year-old Danish Warmblood mare produced an expressive and flowing effort on Tuesday to hold the early lead in the National Championship. The combination who are in their first competitive season together has continued to progress throughout 2014 and the two-time Paralympian has been working diligently to improve the mare’s performance in the ring.
“I was really happy; it was one of those test you enjoy the whole way through,” said Hart. “We’ve been working on her performance and consistency in the ring because she can be a little distracted and to have her go down the centerline and really focus was great.”
Hart spent much of the spring competing Schroeter’s Romani in Europe and believes the experience was invaluable.
“I think the European tour really helped us on our focus.”
Margaret McIntosh and Rio Rio (SusanJStickle.com)
Margaret McIntosh (Reading, Penn.) is making her second National Championship appearance this week in Gladstone and impressed with flowing, accurate 1A Team Test. The former eventing rider and her own eight-year-old Rheindlander mare scored 72.391 to hold second place in National Championship competition after Tuesday.
“We’ve been working really hard to get Rio more forward and consistent,” said McIntosh. “And she was the best she’s ever been today.”
Lying in third place in the championship are Grade 1A competitors Roxanne Trunnell (Rowlett, Tx.) and her own 19-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Nice Touch who scored 71.304 in the afternoon session.
Susan Treabess (Winters Calif.) and Kathryn Hill’s nine-year-old PRE stallion Kamiakin, the first combination down centerline in the Dick and Jane Brown Arena, were the winners of Grade IV Team Test with a score of 69.444. As the final entry in Tuesday’s Grade III competition, Angela Peavy (Avon, Conn.) and Rebecca Reno’s 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding Lancelot Warrior proved unbeatable scoring 71.220. Hart and Schroeter’s Romani were the top placing finishers in Grade II competition with just Cullen and Latte needing to perform her Team Test on Tuesday morning. In Grade 1B, Sydney Collier (Ann Arbor, Mich.) bested herself posting a score 70.667 with Victoria Dugan’s 14-year-old Warmblood gelding Willi Wesley. While, McIntosh and Rio Rio were the winners of the Grade 1A Team Test.
Rebecca Hart and Schroeters Romani competing in Moorsele, Belgium. Photos by Photo Evenement.
Wellington, FL – May 7, 2014 – Para-equestrian dressage rider Rebecca Hart just arrived home from European competition ready to kick into high gear for the June 2-5 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships and selection trial for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Normandy, France.
Hart and her equestrian partner, Schroeters Romani, a 12-year-old Danish Warmblood mare (Lobster-Manique, Come Back II), competed in CPEDI3* shows in Deauville, France, April 4-6, and Moorsele, Belgium, April 25-27, to gain valuable competition experience.
“I am so glad that we did go because it was such a great learning experience,” Hart said. “We were competing in front of five judges and in Florida we compete in front of three. They were the two largest para shows that have ever happened. It was very well attended with the best of the best out and about and getting ready for the WEG. So, we got to see where we stood and what we need to work on, which was huge.”
“When we are competing in the States, we are sheltered and such a small group,” she continued. “The Europeans are very good at what they do – they’re the top dogs at this sport. If you want to play over there, you have to go and get in their world. It’s only going to get better from here.”
Hart said Romani traveled like a pro and has taken all the changes in stride since the mare’s purchase in Denmark five months ago with the help of Hart’s supporters: Margaret Duprey and Cherry Knoll Farm, Hart’s family, William and Sandy Kimmel and Sycamore Station Equine Division.
“I’m very excited for Rebecca,” Duprey said. “She took the ‘bit’ and went to Europe to see how she compared to her competition there. Now she knows what her homework is before the selection trials next month.”
Rebecca Hart and Schroeters Romani competing in the CPEDI3* in Moorsele, Belgium
Duprey not only helped Hart with her dream to purchase Romani, but she also helped create the Jonathan Wentz Memorial Challenge for High Performance Para Dressage through the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation. She and the Barnfield Foundation will match leadership gifts made to the USET Foundation for para-equestrians to compete in international competition including the World Equestrian Games and Paralympics to meet the $800,000 goal.
“Hopefully, this challenge will raise the funds that will allow para-equestrian riders the chance to go to Europe and compete as Rebecca did,” Duprey said.
Hart returned home to Unionville, PA, and continues her training with Missy Ransehousen, who traveled to Europe for six weeks to coach. Hart and Romani spent time in Florida to train and compete in the CPEDI3* in Wellington March 12-16, and while in Florida, she trained with Todd Flettrich. Hart said Romani has coped well with moving so often in the past several months.
“She is a trooper,” Hart said. “Her life has been turned upside down. She got settled in Pennsylvania and then we moved her to Florida and then off to Europe we went.”
“In Deauville, she stayed focused and together,” she said. “She can be very nosy; she likes to see what is going on around her. She has always been an able-bodied horse and at a para competition there are wheelchairs and crutches. There’s a lot to look at and it can be intimidating for a horse that’s not used to that. She was aware of it but she kept her cool.”
In France, the pair qualified for the freestyle with scores ranked in the top five in their division, Grade II. Then, in Belgium, they made the cut again.
“She loves her freestyle and she gets into the music,” Hart said. “The technical aspect was good. It was quite high. But the music… in Belgium we had issues with the sound system. It ended up skipping part of the music and then it got stuck on the loop and it only did her trot music. It ruined the artistic presentation of her freestyle. It was disappointing but the technical was strong.”
Hart will unveil a new freestyle in Gladstone created for the pair by Marlene Whitaker from Custom Freestyle.
“We’re looking at something a bit lighter, a bit more feminine,” Hart said. “A bit more emotional, softer music because of the way she is. She can’t carry a heavy, dramatic music. It’s going to be a fun freestyle.”
Hart said she plans to work on connection and artistic expression with her horse between now and the National Championship.
“All the technical aspect is there,” she explained. “Now we want to add to the overall performance and the connection I have with her so that there is something to keep her focused and keep her moving without having the obvious distraction of the test. I want to get that flow and harmony to be able to support her and really show her off to the best of her ability. I feel that she’s quite phenomenal.”
For more information on the Jonathan Wentz Memorial Challenge, contact the USET Foundation, 908-234-1251.
Sue Weakley for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
Rebecca Hart and Schroeters Romani at the Moorsele, Belgium CPEDI3*, April 25-27, 2014. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Hart.
Unionville, PA – May 7, 2014 – It is imperative that international high-performance athletes competing for the U.S. travel overseas especially with the upcoming Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) in Normandy, France. When para-dressage riders travel abroad with their horses they are able to compete in front of multiple FEI judges alongside their future competition. With the amount of riders that travel to the European CPEDI3* events, riders can get a good idea about where they stand, what they need to work on, and what their competitors are looking like. This feedback will help them on their road to the next international show. Although this is important, financially traveling overseas can be difficult in addition to the travel and scheduling commitment that it can take. This April 2014, three individual para-dressage riders took the opportunity to fly to France and Belgium during the multiple para-equestrian dressage CPEDI3* competitions. These riders all left just days after competing at the 2014 Adequan Global Dressage Festival CPEDI3* in Wellington, Florida. Athletes included two-time Paralympian Rebecca Hart (Grade II) and her horse Schroeters Romani; Margaret McIntosh (Grade Ia) and her own Rio Rio; and Mary Jordan (Grade IV) with Oldenburg gelding, Rubicon 75, owned by Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center of Loxahatchee, Florida, and formally owned and ridden by Catherine Haddad Staller of International Dressage. The competitions included Deauville, France, CPEDI3*, April 4-6, 2014, and the Moorsele, Belgium, CPEDI3*, April 25-27, 2014. These events were the final preparation before the 2014 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship and Para-Dressage Selection Trials for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™. The National Championship/Selection Trials will be held June 2-5, 2014, at the USET Foundation Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ.
Rebecca Hart truly enjoyed the experience in Europe with her new mount, 12-year-old Danish Warmblood mare, Schroeters Romani, who was purchased from Straight Horse in Denmark in partnership with Hart’s family, Margaret Duprey, Cherry Knoll Farm, Sycamore Station Equine Division, Barbara Summer, the Ruffolos, and Will and Sandy Kimmel. Hart explained, “It was a truly humbling experience. To have people believe in me enough to enable me to go over and compete on that level was astounding. The experience really helped me to learn about my horse and myself as a competitor. It feels a little bit like a roller coaster in events like this when the stakes are high. I was very very happy with being in the top five, and making it into the freestyle at both competitions, especially with all the top riders and countries there. I felt it was so important, since we are a new combination, to get over there and give my horse the exposure to the international judges that we can’t do here in the states due to the lack of CPEDIs. My horse traveled beautifully and held her composure in some very atmospheric arenas. The judges were all very complimentary and gave us good guidance on what to work on as we head towards selection trials for the 2014 World Equestrian Games.”
Hart continued, “It was phenomenal to get to focus so specifically on my horse over the last three months. I got to go into a ‘professional horse bubble’ starting with Florida and then continuing on to Europe. It was great to get to step away from my normal everyday stressors like work and concentrate completely on my horse, fitness, and riding. It was a gift and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to do it. Having the time to focus like that, when it is still such a new relationship with Romani, has helped to bring us together as a team, especially with all the travel and fluctuations with the competitions. She is beginning to trust that even if we move around and the schedule or routine changes I am going to be the constant. She is a horse that likes to know what’s happening and have a routine. Getting her to trust me is the key to this partnership, and we are on our way.”
Hart added, “Having Margaret (Gigi) McIntosh and Rio come and compete with us was lovely. We were a traveling unit and it was great to have the camaraderie and support. It made the whole experience that much more fun. Gigi and I have been teammates for the last year and a half. We went horse shopping together and got our horses at the same time. It has been lovely to share the adventure with her. Having someone else to be able to bounce ideas off and share the experiences with has been huge. We train together at Blue Hill Farm and it has been fun watching as our relationships with our horses grow from the first ride to maturing to the point that we were able to successfully compete and hold our own in Europe. We are both looking forward to competing at the National Championship and Selection Trials.”
Hart concluded, “This trip would not have been possible without the amazing support team that surrounds me. I can’t thank them enough for this opportunity. A huge thank you to Margaret Duprey, William and Sandy Kimmel, Missy and Jessica Ransehousen, Todd Flettrich, Sycamore Station and everyone associated with Team Hart.”
Margaret McIntosh and Rio Rio at the Moorsele, Belgium CPEDI3*. Photo courtesy of Margaret McIntosh
Margaret McIntosh and her Rheinland-Pfalz-Saar mare, Rio Rio, enjoyed their time overseas. She explained, “The last leg of our European tour found us in the small town of Moorsele, Belgium, at the magnificent equestrian show venue, Quadrille. Mary Jordan, Rebecca Hart and I shared our stabling with three lovely British riders and a very boisterous Italian Paralympic team. As a bonus, our dear friend James Dwyer from the Irish team and his lovely ‘new’ wife, Phillipa Johnson-Dwyer (South Africa), were stabled nearby, adding to the familiar atmosphere.”
McIntosh continued, “The club-like atmosphere at Quadrille, incorporating a restaurant just behind the judges’ tables and a lot of activity around the ring, was challenging but once again, Rio proved her worth as a no-nonsense competitor, completing her first team test at Grade 1a with a 69.2% for sixth place. A 68% (6th) in the individual test on day two highlighted my weak points but found us still competitive. The freestyle class presented a new set of challenges. As I was newly reclassified as a 1a (due to gradually but markedly increasing spasticity), I had not prepared an appropriate freestyle. The multi-talented Rachel Gross drew on her extensive musical knowledge to cobble together lovely music from the movie ‘Spirit’. Missy provided the choreography and we rode through the test once on Saturday evening. Rio delivered a very technically correct test (as I struggled to keep up with the music) to finish with a 69.9% in fifth place.”
McIntosh concluded, “We left Belgium having successfully accomplished the goals set many months ago. The riders and horses gained experience at very electric venues not found anywhere in the United States. The exposure to the high level of competition, so daunting in Deauville, became a matter of course in Moorsele. Rio’s scores have improved and become more consistent at every competition this spring. We have been judged several times by the same European five-star judges who have rewarded us with markedly higher scores at each outing. We are well-prepared for the June 2-5, 2014 National Championship and selection trials at the USET Foundation headquarters in Gladstone, NJ. I want to thank Missy Ransehousen and Rachel Gross for their inestimable coaching and horsemanship and to Rebecca Hart for her philosophy. I also want to thank all of our supporters and friends whose encouragement helped launch this trip of a lifetime; I am eternally grateful.”
Mary Jordan, who competed with Rubicon 75, explained the importance of competing in Europe: “Many words come to mind when I think about the experience of the two times I’ve gone to Europe to compete (European Championships in Norway 2009 leading up to the 2010 World Equestrian Games) and this spring (leading up to 2014 World Equestrian Games): incredible, thought-provoking, challenging, rewarding, intense, inspiring, enjoyable, and necessary. I say necessary because the scope of para-dressage overseas is much larger in terms of countries participating, the number of competitive riders involved, the public understanding of the sport, and the exposure riders get to FEI international judging panels. In the USA we may have between 5 to at the most 20+ rides at a CPEDI3*. Our selection trials for Beijing in 2008 accepted all five of the competitive riders. In 2010 there were about 14 riders prior to the World Equestrian Games and 25 in 2012 for the London Paralympics. In the U.S., we may only see riders from Canada or Mexico and maybe Bermuda. Contrast to Deauville, France and Moorsele, Belgium this year was like a mini-World Equestrian Games, with up to 70 riders from 19 countries participating. The Grade IVs, for example, had 19 horses entered and one was a Paralympic medalist with two horses. Another distinction: in the USA, anyone can ride in a CPEDI3*. In Great Britain, for example, any para-dressage rider has to first successfully complete the novice para-dressage tests to earn the scores to allow them to ride the FEI Team and Individual tests. Then they have to compete at those levels with consistent scores to be considered for anything further at a national level. Certain performance thresholds have to be met before people are allowed to ride at a CPEDI3*. Few countries do one selection trial for selecting teams and a greater emphasis is placed on consistent and demonstrated regular performance at top shows.”
Jordan continued, “I was blessed with the honor and opportunity to ride a new competition horse Rubicon 75 (Royal-Hit x Edelkarin/Absinthe) to compete overseas and develop a long-term partnership. Rubicon was owned by FEI dressage rider Catherine Haddad Staller and she donated him to Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center in Loxahatchee, Florida. I am grateful for the opportunity and truly enjoyed developing the partnership with this phenomenal horse. We spent our time getting to know each other and training with top medal-winning coaches and got the opportunity to ride before top international judges for some vital feedback to develop this young FEI horse’s future career. We won our first class in the UK in an able-body competition run by British Dressage in a class of 16 and were 2nd in a second class out of 22 entries with score in the 70s. We also earned our scores to compete in the USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship. The feedback from the judges was fantastic, supportive, and I was told he is a world class horse. He will be our prospect for the 2016 Rio Paralympics; I am so excited. The process and opportunity to compete gave me a truly valuable experience, confidence, a new sense of direction, organization and purpose, with key insights I can apply to future competitions and in my development as a rider. I felt an incredible sense of camaraderie meeting new riders and friends from Greece, Denmark, Canada, Holland and Great Britain. We are blessed to be in a unique sport where you can compete against people that inspire you.”
The United States Para-Equestrian Dressage athletes’ next stop will be the 2014 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship and Para-Dressage Selection Trials for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in August held in Normandy, France. The National Championship/Selection Trials will be held June 2-5, 2014, at the USET Foundation Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ.
Results from Moorsele, Belgium, CPEDI3*, April 25-27, 2014
The USPEA is a network of riders, judges, national federation board members, and equestrian enthusiasts. The association gives athletes the ability to get involved and expand their knowledge and experience in the Para-Equestrian sport. The USPEA encourages para-athletes to participate in all disciplines under the para-equestrian umbrella.
The USPEA is a recognized affiliate of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) which serves as the National Governing Body for the equestrian sport. This relationship between the USPEA and USEF is to encourage para-equestrian competitors, leisure riders, coaches, fans and enthusiasts to network and get involved with the entire equestrian sport.
Ultimately the goal of the USPEA is to foster growth in the para-equestrian discipline. From growth in the number of participants to growth as a team, and growth in the experience and knowledge of all involved. From local horse shows to international Olympic Games, the USPEA will provide para-equestrians the knowledge of what they need to succeed. The USPEA connects with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), and USEF which provides Para-Equestrians the top equestrian resources.
In June 2010, the USPEA earned its 501 (c)(3) status which has encouraged supporters to help supply funding to the Para-Equestrian Team as a recognized affiliate of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).
For more information about the USPEA, please visit www.USPEA.org or contact USPEA President Hope Hand by e-mail: Wheeler966@aol.com or by phone: (610)356-6481.
Wellington, FL – March 18, 2014 – Two-time Paralympian Rebecca Hart, a Grade II Para-Dressage athlete, and her own Schroeters Romani ended the CPEDI3* at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival with impressive results. The pair placed second in the FEI Para-Dressage Individual test with a 70.476 percent and second in the FEI Para-Dressage Freestyle with a 72.667 percent.
Schroeters Romani, a 12-year-old Danish Warmblood mare (Lobster-Manique, Come Back II), is a new ride for Hart after her 2012 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship mount, Lord Ludger, was retired after the 2012 London Paralympic Games. Romani was purchased with the help of Margaret Duprey and Cherry Knoll Farm, Hart’s family, William and Sandy Kimmel and Sycamore Station Equine Division.
The mare was a bit spooky on Friday on a blustery South Florida day for the FEI Para-Dressage Team Test, but rallied on Saturday and Sunday to achieve high placings.
“It was our first big CDI and a big atmosphere,” Hart said on Saturday after her Individual test. “It was really good that I was able to ride her through it because we built more trust. I was happy that she came in and settled today and did the test and was actually listening and working with me.”
Missy Ransehousen, Hart’s trainer for eight years, was pleased with the duo’s performance.
“It was great,” she said. “You know, we don’t really know this horse very well and every day is a new day to get to know her. There are always things you have to learn and to fix, but overall it was a really nice ride. I was happy that she walked in and did her job.”
Hart is no longer allowed the use of Velcro straps on her legs as a compensation aid per an FEI ruling passed in January and she said it has been a challenge to learn a new way of riding. She has birth-onset hereditary spastic paraplegia, a degenerative disease that causes muscle wasting and paralysis.
“That’s also a new factor,” she explained. “My legs are less stable but she was really there for me. It’s nice to have a horse with that mentality, especially since we are so new together, that she’s willing to come up and support me when I need it. It’s a two way street: I’ll support her and she’ll support me.”
Sunday’s freestyle, created by Marlene Whitaker from Custom Freestyle, featured trot music to “Classical Gas” and the walk tour is “For You, Matthew.” Hart said she worked on getting more impulsion in the walk as well as more connection and pizazz in her freestyle. The choreography, created for her former mount, Lord Ludger, included half-pass and shoulder-in for added interest and is being used until a new one is created for Hart and Romani.
“She likes it,” Hart said. “She kind of likes to flip her toes a little bit. I love that she likes the music and goes with the rhythm and really gets into it. ”
Hart said the freestyle was a nice way to end the show, noting that the timing and the artistry of the freestyle were highlights for her.
“She was so good for me and she rose to the occasion,” Hart said. “She carried me beautifully. By the third day, my legs are a little tired. I needed her to step up and I really had that.”
Hart thought the two built on their trust this weekend and was pleased that the relationship between her and her horse is growing so quickly.
“She walked in there and she was totally chill,” Hart said. “She figured it out. The first day she was a bit unsettled and little overly exuberant.”
Grand Prix rider Todd Flettrich has been training Hart for the past month while she has been based in Florida. He also trained her the month before she left for London for the 2012 Paralympic Games.
“Missy [Ransehousen] deserves all the credit and Missy is always there for her,” Flettrich said. “Becca has taught me more than I taught her. That girl has an unbelievable work ethic and she does not allow her disability to run her life. I am delighted with her and with the horse. I hope this is the beginning of a long relationship.”
Hart and Romani’s next step is to travel to Europe March 22 to compete in CPEDI3* shows in Deauville, France, April 4-6 and in Moorsele, Belgium, April 25-27.
“We are hitting the ground running as a pair,” she said. “Then on April 29, I come home and we’ll have a few weeks and then we’ll go to selection trials.”
The USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship will be held June 2-5 at the USET Foundation Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ. The championship will also serve as the selection trial for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage Team.
Hart knows that she wouldn’t be where she is without the help of her trainer and some generous individuals.
“It was a massively joint effort and I am honored to be a part of it,” the equestrian said. “I have a huge support system. It’s as much their victory as mine.”
Sue Weakley for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
Romani and Rebecca Hart. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Hart.
Wellington, FL – February 4, 2014 – Rebecca Hart, a two-time Para-Olympic athlete, has a new horse, thanks to a group of people who believe in her.
Hart’s new horse, Romani, an 11-year-old Danish Warmblood mare, was purchased with the help of Margaret Duprey and Cherry Knoll Farm, Hart’s family, William and Sandy Kimmel and Sycamore Station Equine Division.
“It was a massively joint effort and I am honored to be a part of it,” the equestrian said. “I have a huge support system. It’s as much their victory as mine.”
She hails from Unionville, PA, and trains with Missy and Jessica Ransehousen.
In 2012, she won the USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship title aboard Lord Ludger. Her former mount, owned by the Ransehousens, was retired to a life of eating grass, hacking and light riding at the age of 21 after the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Rebecca Hart and Norteassa at the USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships in Chicago, IL, in June of 2010. Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall
Hart and Lord Ludger placed just out of the medals at the both the 2008 and the 2012 Para-Olympic Games and she hopes Romani is the key to future success. The pair will arrive in Wellington in February and will be based out of Duprey’s Cherry Knoll Farm. They will compete in the Adequan Global Dressage Festival 10 CPEDI3* Para-Equestrian Dressage show in Wellington in March and then fly out of Miami for CPEDI3* competitions in Belgium and France.
Hart plans to qualify for the June 2014 Para-Equestrian National Championship and Selection Trials in Gladstone, NJ, with the ultimate goal of participating in the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France. Beyond that, she wants to go for the gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Hart thinks Romani could be the perfect partner. She said the 16.2 hand mare arrived from Denmark at the end of November and is athletic, supple and fun to ride. She had a comfortable connection with the horse the first time she rode her.
“A para horse has to have something special to make it as an international horse, but at the same time, it also has to understand the disability and have a fantastic brain and personality to go along with that,” she explained. “It was funny. She sized me up when I met her. She looked me up and down – it was the most bizarre experience I’ve ever had with a horse. She’s like, ‘I understand that your legs don’t work. I hear what you’re saying.’ And off we went.”
She said that when she mounted Romani in Denmark, it was the first time in 18 years of riding that sitting in the saddle did not hurt her hip.
Rebecca Hart and Kazan won the USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships and topped USEF Para-Dressage Selection Trials for 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall
Hart has birth-onset hereditary spastic paraplegia, a degenerative disease that causes muscle wasting and paralysis, and credits riding with her continued mobility and ability to walk. She said that the more people understand para-equestrian riding, the better it will be for the sport.
“Para-equestrian actually means that it’s parallel to able-bodied sports,” she said. “It just happens to be with riders who have disabilities. We compete at all the same venues as the able-bodied riders, and we’re held to the same FEI standards. There are just different aides and compensations.”
Hart added that she’s thankful for her support team who has recognized that she competes in a legitimate high-performance sport.
“I can’t thank them enough for helping me fulfill my lifelong dream and for allowing me to share my adventure with them,” she said. “Every time we succeed, it’s as much their victory as it is my own.”
Sue Weakley for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
Lara Spencer, Ann Romney, Rebecca Hart, and horse Lord Ludger. Photo (C) ABC/Ida Mae Astute
New York, NY – October 10, 2012 – On Wednesday October 10th, U.S. Paralympian Rebecca Hart of Unionville, Penn. was showcased on ABC’s Good Morning America. Hart and horse Lord Ludger accompanied Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, in New York’s Times Square. Mrs. Romney and Rebecca Hart spoke about how horses have provided a unique form of therapy for each of them. Mrs. Romney co-hosted the news hour with George Stephanopoulos where she was filling in for Robin Roberts, who is on extended medical leave.
Rebecca Hart and horse Lord Ludger (owned by Jessica Ransehousen) presented a previously recorded segment from October 8th showcasing the Paralympic Dressage duo at Blue Hill Farm. The previously recorded segment featured Rebecca Hart explaining how equine therapy has improved her quality of life and how it has helped her work through Familial Spastic Paraplegia. Mrs. Romney, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1998, began riding as a form of therapy and found equine therapy to benefit her life in many ways as well.
Rebecca Hart receiving 2012 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship Award from Ann Romney. (c) Sue Stickle Photography
New York, NY – October 8, 2012 – On Wednesday October 10th, U.S. Paralympian Rebecca Hart of Unionville, Penn. will be showcased on ABC’s Good Morning America. Hart will accompany Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, in New York’s Times Square. Mrs. Romney and Rebecca Hart will be speaking about how horses have provided a unique form of therapy for them. Both equestrians will also touch on the 2012 London Paralympics and the equestrian sport. Mrs. Romney will be co-hosting the 8 a.m. (Eastern Time) news hour with George Stephanopoulos on Wednesday where she is filling in for Robin Roberts, who is on extended medical leave.
Rebecca Hart, horse Lord Ludger (owned by Jessica Ransehousen), and U.S Parlaympic Chef d’Equipe Missy Ransehousen will present a previously recorded segment from October 8th showcasing the Paralympic Dressage duo at Blue Hill Farm. In addition to Rebecca Hart and Lord Ludger’s Times Square debut, Ann Romney will accompany Hart riding Ireland’s Bronze Medal Team horse, Orlando, owned by James Dwyer.
Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation has named the team for the 2012 Paralympic Games. The four athletes representing the U.S. in London turned heads at the Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship and Selection Trial held in Gladstone, NJ in June.
The following two U.S. team veterans and two rising stars will compose the team:
Rebecca Hart (Unionville, PA) and Jessica Ransehousen’s Lord Ludger
Jonathan Wentz (Richardson, TX) and Kai Handt’s NTEC Richter Scale
Donna Ponessa (New Windsor, NY) and Wesley Dunham’s Western Rose
Dale Dedrick (Ann Arbor , MI) and her own Bonifatius
Reigning USEF National Champion Hart makes her second trip to the Paralympic Games after having represented her country at the 2008 Games. The Grade II rider will utilize the experience that earned her national titles in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012 when she competes in Greenwich Park.
Gladstone, NJ – June 14, 2012 – Rebecca Hart of Unionville, PA captured her fifth United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship on June 13. Hart, aboard Lord Ludger, owned by Jessica Ransehousen of Blue Hill Farm, inched out 2011 National Champion Jonathan Wentz of Richardson, TX with their Freestyle performance on Wednesday. Athletes from the high performance Para-Equestrian discipline presented their top mounts at the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation headquarters in Gladstone, NJ, June 10-13, 2012. It was befitting to be at one of the most historical locations in equestrian history for the 2012 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships and 2012 USEF Paralympic Selection Trials. With the nominated entries waiting to be named for the 2012 Paralympics, four athletes prevailed topping the field of twenty-three horse and rider combinations.
The 2012 USEF Paralympic Selection Trials and Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships was a week of environmental changes including high temperatures one day, a downpour the second day, and a breezy but exceptional weather pattern on the final day. Para-Dressage athletes Rebecca Hart, Jonathan Wentz (Richardson, TX), Donna Ponessa (New Windsor, NY), and Dale Dedrick (Ann Arbor, MI) kept the competition interesting posting scores only thousandths of a percentage point different at times.
Gladstone, NJ – The 2012 USEF National Para-Equestrian Championships held in conjunction with the USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage Paralympic Selection Trials came down to the slimmest of margins this afternoon as riders performed their Freestyle tests at the Pine Meadow location of the USET Foundation. Heading to the final test of the championships only a few marks separated the top three riders and the remaining 20% of the final score would be determined Wednesday. Rebecca Hart, Jonathan Wentz and Donna Ponessa all produced their highest scores of the competition in the Freestyle and less than a half of a percentage point would separate them in the final standings.
Hart (Unionville, PA) produced the highest score of the National Championship, a 75.917%, to claim her fifth USEF National Para-Equestrian Championship title. The 26-year-old performed an extremely polished and stylish Grade II Freestyle with Jessica Ransehousen’s veteran Lord Ludger accented by a high degree of difficulty.
Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation has named the team for the 2012 Paralympic Games. The four athletes representing the U.S. in London turned heads at the Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship and Selection Trial held in Gladstone, NJ in June.
