Mary Green, 2000 US Paralympic Team

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[Riders with Disabilities]

Festival Freestyles:
A Spectator's View
by Tricia Scheibler

Related Articles:

Barbara Grassmyer wins NDSA Championship at the Festival of Champions 2001

Festival of Champions
Gladstone, NJ
2001

I'm not qualified to make judgments on the technical accurateness of the freestyles but by participating in continuing education through musical freestyle clinics, forums, discussion groups, and learning from freestyle riders, designers, and other experts I feel comfortable answering the question - Did the rider truly, seem to dance with her equine partner? My total performance scale is my idea of - How entertaining was that ride? *,**, or *** (highest approval rating).

The NDSA (National Disability Sports Alliance) Paralympic freestyle riders had to be my favorite. We have a tendency to see someone with no fingers or one arm or one leg and call them handicapped. If you want to be politically correct you might call them physically challenged. If you were wise you'd dump all the labels and just call them damn good equestrians.

Mary Green and BA Jahar (Arabian) rode to Celtic music and lots of smiles were coming from a rider who was enjoying her well deserved dance. *

Rebecca Hart and Miss Jane Marple (Percheron/TB x) rode to "Phantom of the Opera". The showy black beauty was a nice mover and the pair got ** from me.

Barbara Grassmyer and Bally Shannon (Connemara/TB x) used John Williams
music and was especially good at selecting pieces to suit gaits. Big "Star Wars" theme to match bold canter for example. ***

Kebbie Cannon and Cavalier had a perfect transition into canter exactly in time to a musical phrase change. Music was synthesized soundtrack type music which IMO was a little too busy and tense for this happy pair. *

Hope Hand and Wundershun rode to music from "Annie". The happy and light
music matched the happy and light pair very well. They had a nice extended trot exactly to the beat. ***

Robin Bruckman rode Figaro stirrupless to music from the "Zorro" soundtrack. Would have liked to see some more detailed choreography to match the emotional content of the ambitious music. **

Lynn Seideman and NHF Eckmann (Fjord) used familiar styleings of rock and
roll themes like "Hawaii 5-0". A definite crowd favorite. **

Deb Luen and Heart of Gold's jazzed up march/big band sound had me
tappin' my toes. **

Barbara Grassmyer and Bally Shannon's 72.857 winning ride to John Williams movie themes won the day. Congratulations to all the NDSA equestrians, your entertaining rides showed the crowd that the word "disabled" is really just a word, and you are all true freestyle performers.

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