Announcing the 2012 United States Paralympic Equestrian Team

Written by: Lindsay Yosay McCall

Photos by: Lindsay Yosay McCall

 

Gladstone, NJ –July 27, 2012 – These four horse and rider combinations have been selected to represent the United States of America at the 2012 London Paralympics.  Para-Equestrians will head to London, England to compete at beautiful Greenwich Park beside 78 other horse and rider combinations and 26 nations from around the world. The FEI horse inspection will occur on August 29, 2012 followed by competition on August 30-September 4, 2012. The following four horse and rider combinations will ride under the direction of Chef d’Equipe Missy Ransehousen.

 

THE UNITED STATES PARALYMPIC EQUESTRIAN TEAM

Rebecca Hart, 27, of Unionville, Penn. and Jessica Ransehousen’s Holsteiner gelding Lord Ludger

Jonathan Wentz, 21, of Richardson, Texas and Kai Handt’s 18 year-old NTEC Richter Scale

Donna Ponessa, 51, of New Windsor, N.Y. and Wesley Dunham’s Oldenburg mare Western Rose

Dale Dedrick, 56, of Ann Arbor, Mich. and her 14 year-old grey Hanoverian Bonifatius

Alternate: Mary Jordan, 46, of Wells, Maine, and Deecie Denison’s Hanoverian Sebastian

 

Photographs from the 2012 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships and Paralympic Selection Trials

Dale Dedrick and Bonifatius by Lindsay Yosay McCall

2012 Paralympic Equestrian Schedule

 August 29, 2012

Opening Ceremony

Horse Inspection 10:00 AM -11:30 AM

 August 30, 2012

Grade II Mixed Team Test 9:00 AM

Grade Ib Mixed Team Test 2:00 PM

 August 31, 2012

Grade IV Mixed Team Test 9:00 AM

Grade III Mixed Team Test 1:15 PM

Grade Ia Mixed Team Test 3:45 PM

 September 1, 2012

Grade II Mixed Individual Championship Test 9:00 AM

Grade Ib Mixed Individual Championship Test  2:30 PM

 September 2, 2012

Grade IV Mixed Individual Championship Test  9:00 AM

Grade III Mixed Individual Championship Test  1:45 PM

Grade Ia Mixed Individual Championship Test 4:15 PM

 September 3, 2012

Grade II Mixed Individual Freestyle Test 9:00 AM

Grade Ib Mixed Individual Freestyle Test 2:15 PM

 September 4, 2012

Grade IV Mixed Individual Freestyle Test 9:00 AM

Grade III Mixed Individual Freestyle Test 1:45 PM

Grade Ia Mixed Individual Freestyle Test 3:45 PM

September 9, 2012

Closing Ceremony

 

For more information about the United States Equestrian Federation please visit www.USEF.org

For more information about the Para-Equestrians heading to London please visit http://www.fei.org/events/games/paralympic-games/london-2012

To view more about the London 2012 Paralympics please visit the offical Paralympic website at http://www.london2012.com/

ABOUT THE EQUESTRIAN PARALYMPICS (courtesy of FEI)

Host nation Great Britain, Germany, Denmark and Canada have qualified the maximum number of riders and will each be represented by a team of four and one individual.

Nine countries – USA, The Netherlands, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, South Africa, Australia and France – have qualified four riders.

The National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) of Singapore and Mexico, which had originally qualified four riders, returned one qualification slot each and will be represented by three-rider teams. The unused slots were re-allocated to Norway and Israel on the basis of the Individual Para-Equestrian Rankings of athletes not already qualified with a team. As a result, Norway, which had already qualified two individual riders, will be fielding a composite team consisting of three members.

New Zealand and Finland will be represented by two individual riders apiece. Bermuda, Argentina, Japan, Hong Kong and Austria have each been allocated one individual slot

Three Bipartite Commission invitations have been issued to Thomas Haller of Austria, Lee Frawley of the Virgin Islands and Anita Johnsson of Sweden.

The definite Para-Equestrian entries will be published on 6 August. A total of 78 Para-Equestrian riders will be battling it out for the 11 sets of medals available.

SUMMARY:

26 nations – ARG, AUS, AUT, BEL, BER, BRA, CAN, DEN, FIN, FRA, GBR, GER, HKG, IRL, ISR, ISV, ITA, JPN, MEX, NED, NOR, NZL, RSA, SIN, SWE, USA

 

TEAMS

4 nations with 5 riders (team + 1 individual): CAN, DEN, GBR, GER

9 nations with 4 riders (team): AUS, BEL, BRA, FRA, IRL, ITA, NED, RSA, USA

3 nations with 3 riders (team): MEX, NOR, SIN

NATIONS REPRESENTED ONLY BY INDIVIDUALS

2 nations with 2 individuals: FIN, NZL

6 nations with 1 individual: AUT, ARG, BER, ISR, JPN, HKG

3 Bipartite Commission invitations: AUT, ISV, SWE

 

PHOTO CREDIT: All photographs taken by Lindsay Yosay McCall for the USPEA 2012