Hart, Trunnell Contest Freestyle Finals at World Equestrian Games

CAEN, NORMANDY, August 29, 2014 – To be selected to represent one’s country at a world championships is an honor that few riders ever experience. To not only compete but to perform well enough to advance through the rounds of competition to qualify for the finals is a rare achievement, indeed.

Not one but two U.S. representatives in the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ para-equestrian dressage competition claimed that achievement today: Roxanne Trunnell, Grade Ia rider; and her WEG teammate Rebecca Hart, Grade II.

For Trunnell, 29, of Rowlett, Tex., today’s freestyle aboard the nineteen-year-old Dutch

Roxanne Trunnell and Nice Touch. Photo copyright SusanJStickle.com

Warmblood mare Nice Touch was a high note in several ways. For one, this is Trunnell’s first time on a U.S. equestrian team. For another, it was the ride of a lifetime aboard the horse she’s been paired with since Trunnell was 13. And to top it off, this was Nice Touch’s swan song.

“It was fantastic. She is a good girl,” a beaming Trunnell said afterward. “This was her grand finale.”

Trunnell was proud of her freestyle routine, appropriately set to George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” and to music from the musical Gigi, including “Thank Heaven for Little Girls.” The highlight, she said, was Nice Touch’s relaxed free walk, which helped the pair earn a score of 62.400 percent for a seventh-place finish.

Schedules are tight for the para-equestrian dressage athletes: Trunnell returns home tomorrow, Saturday, which unfortunately leaves her no time for sightseeing in France. But “I’ll be back,” she said.

The 2014 U.S. WEG para-dressage team veteran, Rebecca Hart, 30, of Unionville, Penn., found herself in the position of showing her new mount, Schroeter’s Romani, the ropes of international competition. The twelve-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare “was definitely enthusiastic” in her Grade II Freestyle, Hart said with a laugh, referring to occasional tension and loss of focus that left the 2014 United States Equestrian Federation Para-Equestrian Dressage national champions with a score of 65.400 percent and seventh place.

A delighted Roxanne Trunnell with her father, Sidney Trunnell, after her Grade Ia Freestyle aboard Nice Touch CREDIT: Jennifer Bryant

“As we move along, I’m hoping for more power and relaxation,” Hart said afterward. “The enthusiasm is appreciated, but maybe just a little bit more controlled enthusiasm.”

Of the freestyle choreography, Hart said: “We were trying to play to her walk a little bit

Rebecca Hart and Schroeter’s Romani. Photo copyright SusanJStickle.com

because she has such a great walk. Mostly we were trying to make the walk a little more technical in that you have to hit it exactly with the music, or else the rest of the choreography will be slightly off. When it comes off, you really see that.”

The WEG was the debut performance of this freestyle, said Hart. Freestyle choreographer Marlene Whitaker helped Hart put the routine together-but according to the rider, it was Schroeter’s Romani who approved the music selection.

“She loves this music; she actually picked this music herself,” Hart said. “It’s ‘The Journey Begins,’ which is fairly fitting, since this is the beginning of our journey together.” The melody is the anthem from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, she said, and “We used that with some other pieces as well that we mixed together.”

Looking to the future, Hart added: “This was our original choreography, but if we want to change out leg-yields for half-passes or increase the difficulty later on, we can.”

And Hart may be doing just that as she focuses on her next big goal: the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. First things first, however: “Between now and then, we’re going to get her out and about quite a bit so she gets used to different venues and different atmospheres. We can work on building our trust together so she comes to me and looks to me for support and guidance instead of being distracted, and so we have more of the harmonious relationship that you’re looking for in any dressage horse and rider.”

After Hart returns home to Pennsylvania, her mare will get a bit of a break; then the rider is “hoping to do the winter season in Florida.” Then “the para-dressage [competitors and supporters] are looking to do a European tour in the spring. We feel that European exposure is so important, not only for us as individuals but for the country as a whole so our team can get out there and be seen.”

With the 2014 WEG, the young U.S. para-equestrian dressage team has taken a major step toward the medal podium on the international stage. It will be exciting to follow this talented group of horses and riders as they proceed on their journey.

The following horse-and-athlete combinations have been named to the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage Team (in alphabetical order):

Sydney Collier (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and Victoria Dugan’s Willi Wesley.
Willi Wesley is a 2000 Warmblood gelding. (Grade Ib)

Rebecca Hart (Unionville, Pa.) and Schroeter’s Romani, owned by Rebecca Hart in conjunction with Margaret Duprey, Cherry Knoll Farm, Sycamore Station Equine Division, Barbara Summer, The Ruffolo’s, and Will and Sandy Kimmel.
Schroeter’s Romani is a 2003 Danish Warmblood mare. (Grade II)

Angela Peavy (Avon, Conn.) and Rebecca Reno’s Ozzy Cooper.
Ozzy Cooper is a 2006 Trakehner gelding. (Individual athlete Grade III)

Susan Treabess (Winters, Calif.) and Kathryn Hill’s Kamiakin.
Kamiakin is a 2005 PRE stallion. (Grade IV)

Roxanne Trunnell (Rowlett, Texas) and her own Nice Touch.
Nice Touch is a 1995 Dutch Warmblood mare. (Grade Ia)

Learn more about the Para-Dressage discipline at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy, France:

Support the Team and it’s future to the 2016 Paralympics in Rio with the USET Foundation’s Jonathan Wentz Memorial Challenge:

Learn more about the U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage discipline or give a tax-deductible donation to support the development of the sport with the USPEA 501(c)(3)t:

The USPEA is a network of riders, judges, national federation 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 Paralympic Games, the USPEA provides Para-Equestrians the knowledge and resources needed to succeed.  The USPEA connects with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), USA Reining, and USEF which provide 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: hope@uspea.org or by phone: (610)356-6481.