Monday, October 4, 2010

WEG Para-Equestrian: All Horses Ready to Compete for Kentucky Equine Research U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage Team - by Leah Oliveto

Lexington, KY - The Kentucky Equine Research U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage Team passed all 10 horses at the horse inspection for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games today. Of the 89 horses presented, four were held,  and upon re-inspection, three were accepted. Academy Award, ridden by Ricky Balshaw of Great Britain, will be re-presented to the Ground Jury tomorrow. This will be the first time the Para-Equestrian Dressage World Championships have been held in conjunction with the other seven disciplines at a World Equestrian Games. Twenty-five countries will be represented in the competition.


The U.S. will be represented in team competition (where they will also compete as individuals) by:
Robin Brueckmann/52/Summerfield, NC/Raison D'Etre/12/American Warmblood/G/Elly Schobel
Laura Goldman/65/Highland Heights, OH/Carlingford JD/11/Irish Sport Horse/G/Trudy Phillips
Susan Treabess/33/Winters, CA/Moneypenny/16/Dutch Warmblood/M/Katy Peterson
Jonathan Wentz/19/Richardson, TX/NTEC Richter Scale/16/Shire Cross/G/Kai Handt

The following combinations will ride as individuals:

Rebecca Hart/25/Erie, PA/Norteassa/18/Hanoverian/G/Rebecca Hart
Wendy Fryke/45/Parker, CO/Lateran/13/Westphalian/S/Polly Limond
Jennifer Baker/46/Loveland, OH/Kranak/18/Dutch Warmblood/G/Akiko Yamazaki
Mary Jordan/44/Wells, ME/Paxton Abbey/12/Hanoverian/M/Mary Jordan
Kim Decker/42/Centreville, VA/Dashers Destiny/16/Hanoverian/G/Paul Decker
Erin Alberda/30/Woodinville, WA/Delectari/12/Swedish Warmblood/G/Erin Alberda

Rebecca Hart was slated to ride on the team but withdrew herself from the team to focus on the individual competition.
Both Hart and Robin Brueckmann are veterans from the Paralympics. In 2000, Brueckmann was sixth individually at the Sydney Paralympics; in 2004 she was an alternate for the team in Athens and was also on the U.S. Team at the 2008 Hong Kong Paralympics. Hart most recently represented the U.S. in Hong Kong were she was fourth individually.
Missy Ransehousen, who was the Chef d'Equipe for the US squads at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Paralympic Games, will resume that role here in Kentucky.

"The jog went very well for all of our horses considering how cold it was this morning," said Ransehousen. "We are expecting very good tests from each of the riders, but we definitely have tough competition here. For eight of our riders, this will be their first big international competition against Europeans, but each horse and rider has a good quality to them that will come through in their tests."

Competition will begin tomorrow with the Individual Team Test and continue throughout the week, concluding on Sunday with the Individual Freestyle Test.

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