Wendy and Larisa at WHIS

WIHS 2010

I am proud to be able to inform you that Spirit's rider, Wendy Shugol, Para equestrian rider Grade 1a will promote Para equestrian dicsipline, at the Washington International Horse Show this Sunday. She will ride her Morgan mare, Larissa, and perform her Free Style test.

Aricle

About Para equestrian rider you can read here

Video clips

Wendy very succesfuly competed at Morven Park 2010. See here how it was with Infinity...

Matt and adventure we shared...from therapy to Gladstone and Nationals in only one year...too bad that he did not have any luck about horses ...Bela, Charm, Louie, Infinity...best ones been taken from him...See his story, here
Anyway, he did great job in Para equestrian, and Spirit will be always proud for experience we shared...
From experience with Bella
To his great performance at Morven park 2008. which you can see here.

For the end, some highlights from Bejijing 2008 Para dressage, you can see here...

Results

Here are result of Trial Championship in Chicago IL, June, 25-27th.
Wendy will not be at the National Team, but we are proud of her effort and dedication.
She presented real profile of athlete and horsemanship at IL last week end.

Good Luck, Wendy!

Wendy is on her way to Chicago where she will attend Trial Championship for National USA Para equestrian Team
She will ride there her Larisa, and Audie, both horses from famous Statesman Farm, and Ms Lynne Shpek.

Ms Shpek borrowed to Spirit 23 yo mare, Treasure during this competition...Thank you, Lynne!

Go Wendy and good luck!

And you can meet Treasure here....

And more photos...

Wendy Schugol at Morven Park this week end!

Great scores above 67%, high level performance of Wendy and her Larissa this week end...
Go, Wendy!

Fair about adapted sports, recreation and travel.......

2010 Adapted Sports, Recreation and Travel Fair for Individuals with Disabilities

Spirit will present itself there.



Sponsored by Parents Of Autistic Children of Northern Virginia (POAC-NoVA), the Autism Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) and other support organizations for individuals with disabilities, in coordination with the Fairfax County Therapeutic Recreation Department.

Who? For ALL individuals with disabilities living in Northern Virginia.

What? This fair will provide information on adapted sports, recreation and travel
opportunities, including adapted summer camp opportunities.

When? Saturday, 20 March 2010 from 1:30 to 4pm

Where? Key Middle School Main Gym (Gym 1), 6402 Franconia Road, Springfield, VA 22150. It is just down the road a couple of blocks from Robert E. Lee High School, where the FCPS 5th Annual Special Education Conference will be held which ends at 1pm. A map and directions are at http://commweb.fcps.edu/directory/map_base.cfm?locid=1011.

Cost? FREE!

We have invited all the adapted agencies and teams for every type of adapted sport and recreation opportunity in the area. The Therapeutic Recreation Departments from Fairfax, Arlington, & Loudoun Counties and Alexandria City will be participating, along with over a dozen other agencies and teams from twelve adapted sports and recreation categories. We hope that you will able to drop by to get information on the wide assortment of adapted opportunities that are available for individuals with disabilities. See you at the fair!

If you have any questions about this event, please feel free to contact Scott Campbell at the office at (703) 681-9426 or at home at (703) 241-2640.

Good to know...

(Photo: Joop Stokkel, NE top PE rider)
FEI (International Equestrian Federation) has written tests for each level of para-equestrian competition. While the tests are different than U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) dressage tests, the movements included make them roughly comparable to the following USEF levels:

Grades Ia and Ib are equivalent to Intro Level.
Grade II is equivalent to Training Level.
Grade III is equivalent to First Level.
Grade IV is equivalent to Third Level.
Para-equestrian riders can compete in open shows and can use special equipment or compensating aides (a whip in each hand, for example) as allowed by their "dispensation certificate" from the USEF. At open shows, riders with disabilities can choose to ride the standard USEF tests in able-bodied divisions, ride their FEI para-equestrian test as a test of choice, or do both.

Matt Trott

Matt is founder and inspiration for Spirit Open Equestrian Program. I met him 2006 in another Therapeutic Riding program and we started with TR lessons. His attitude, and skills made him improve so much in just a year, to become a solid Para dressage rider with future to compete...after several public presentation of his riding skills, he was ready to go... so with generous help of friends, Whitney, Lynne, Kate and more people who wanted to support Para dressage at that time...he competed in Colorado, and won twice!
His performance provide him invitation to Gladstone,PA National Equestrian Center.
At that time, he rode Morgan mare Charm...and it was promising combination...
Charm has been given away...
Matt and group of friends started Spirit Open Equestrian Program...
Louie, Morgan gelding been given to Spirit Program, so Matt competed at Morven Park VA making solid results, 2007. See it on this video.
After Louie left Spirit, too, we got Infinity, Morgan mare who was a good match for Matt, too....
Spirit Program and myself are proud to present Matt and his story here.

This picture from Morven Park,Equestrian Center, VA, 2009, when Wendy Schugol did great performance of requested tests in Para equestrian discipline shows main idea of vision we share...to celebrate ability and results of our riders. Para dressage is the way to do it.