June 21, 2021 – Watch Out World! USA Equestrian Roxanne Trunnell and Dolton Break World Records in Para Dressage at the Perrigo Tryon Summer Dressage CPEDI3* and Final Observation Event for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics
June 21, 2021
June 29, 2022 – United States Para-Equestrian Association Remembers Organization President Hope Hand
July 21, 2022| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE USPEA Would Like to Thank the Owners of the 2020 United States Paralympic Equestrian Medal Winning TeamPhotos and article by: Lindsay Y. McCal l  U.S. Paralympic Equestrian Double gold medal winner Roxanne Trunnell and Owner of Dolton Karin Flint at the Final Observation Event for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics June 18-20, 2021 in Mill Spring, NC. Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall Newtown Square, Penn. – November 24, 2021- The aftereffect of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Equestrian Games will never wear off. Two individual gold medals were won at the Games by Roxanne Trunnell and Dolton and one U.S. Para Dressage Team bronze medal was earned by teammates Trunnell and Dolton; Kate Shoemaker and Solitaer 40; Rebecca Hart and El Corona Texel; with Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline. For a decade, U.S. Para Dressage has worked hard to get to those medals. From improving the grassroots, structuring a pipeline for new talent, training more Paralympic coaches, creating incentives and scholarships to help riders, expanding the outreach in equestrian sport, and attracting new athletes. The desire among the athletes, the coaches, the volunteers, and supporters in the para dressage discipline has never wavered and in fact it has been intensifying over the decade. It took years for all the pieces to come together to make this high-performance sport an elite training machine. One of the biggest components that has helped U.S. Para Dressage has been horse owners. Families, friends, and advocates have stepped into this discipline because of their love for the riders and the sport. Owners have helped to provide the necessary items to get our team and individuals to the world stage. The equestrian sport is unlike any other sport because of the high cost and demand of having a top equine athlete. This single factor can be limiting to talented riders. When owners step in and believe in that athlete and their team it dramatically helps the equestrian sport, especially para dressage, earn top results. There are many wonderful horse owners in the para dressage discipline, but the owners of the 2020 Bronze Medal Paralympic Equestrian Team and two Individual Gold Medals were essential for the U.S. riders.  U.S. Paralympic Equestrian Team Roxanne Trunnell, Kate Shoemaker, and Rebecca Hart at he 2020 Tokyo Paralympics Photo by U.S. Equestrian. U.S. Paralympic Equestrian Double gold medal winner Roxanne Trunnell with Dolton, Owned by Karin Flint. Photo by US EquestrianRoxanne Trunnell, Karin Flint and Dolton Winning essentially three medals in the U.S. Paralympics, two individual gold medals and one team bronze was a dream come true for Roxanne Trunnell (Wellington, Fla.) and Dolton, a nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Flintwood Farms LLC and Karin Flint. Trunnell is extremely grateful for the support Karin Flint has given. Trunnell noted, “I would like to say thank you Karin Flint for trusting me and believing in me to take care of her very special boy. She will do anything to make him happy and comfortable and being a huge animal lover myself, taking care of the animal comes before any ribbons or medals and I’m so thankful that she shares this same opinion.” Dolton is a special horse. Trunnell explained, “What I love about him is there are two different sides to him. Most people only see him when I am on his back, but in the stable he is quite the handful and constantly in everything. When I’m on him a switch gets flipped and he always tries so hard to do the right thing and take care of me. Touché, my other horse, acts like that and in my mind that’s the behavior of a great horse.” Dolton showcased this at the Paralympics where on the first day of team competition there was an apartment fire across the street from the competition. Dolton did not want to be in that ring, but he stuck it out and behaved like a gentleman showing everyone what a special horse he is and how he really is going to take care of me no matter what comes our way.” Dolton and Trunnell have been working together to make their tests exceptional. Her trainer of three years, Andrea Woodard, has been there along the way putting these two together. Woodard’s attention to detail has pushed Trunnell to maintain a consistent score of 80% in her tests.  U.S. Paralympic Equestrian Double gold medal winner Roxanne Trunnell with Dolton, Trainer Andrea Woodard, and groom Angela Baugh at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.Dolton is Owned by Karin Flint. Photo by US Equestrian. Photo courtesy of Roxanne Trunnell. Karin Flint celebrating three medals from the 2020 Tokyo U.S. Paralympic Equestrian competition where her horse Dolton won with Roxanne Trunnell. Photo courtesy of Roxanne Trunnell.Flint Meets Annie Peavy All of this would not have been possible if four years ago Karin Flint wasn’t introduced to Para-Dressage. Former Para Dressage rider Annie Peavy and her mom Becky Reno introduced Karin Flint to the discipline when they had everyone over for a casual dinner including their neighbor Flint. After learning about the sport, she went to a couple of shows and fell in love with the riders and what the discipline did for the athletes. In the meantime, while Trunnell was making a name for herself in the sport and Flint was wanting to become more involved, para dressage rider Kate Shoemaker had purchased the Hanoverian Dolton as a two-year-old. As a three-year-old she pursued his sport horse career and imported him to the United States. It was in his sixth year Shoemaker brought Dolton to Wellington, Florida, to be evaluated by coach Michel Assouline and Trunnell and Dolton were paired. Flintwoode Farms LLC and Karin Flint then joined as a sponsor to give Roxanne and Dolton an opportunity towards the World Equestrian Games team. Karin Flint commented, “Dolton gives legs to Roxy and hope to anybody else that would like to try this wonderful sport. It makes me happy to give hope to people. I can see the tremendous difference in Roxy. Riding, for para dressage athlete lets them bloom where they are planted. It is a beautiful thing. I am grateful for what Andrea Woodward does as well for this duo. She trains Dolton but also really connected with Roxy. The two of them collaborate and make big things happen. A lot of people don’t realize how important the team behind the scenes is, including Angela Baugh who grooms Dolton. I love being a part of it all from the training to Dolton’s life at home I love helping to make a difference especially in a sport that is so inspiring”.  Rowan O’Riley and Rebecca Hart. Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall Rebecca Hart and El Corona Texel, owned by Rowan O’Riley. Photo by Lindsay Y. McCallRebecca Hart and Rowan O’Riley Teammate Rebecca Hart (Wellington, Florida) has a similar story. Hart has been a part of the para dressage sport for almost twenty years. She has earned numerous national championships including her most recent 2021 Adequan®/USEF Para Dressage National Championship. She has also been to many Paralympics and World Equestrian Games. Along the way Hart has had amazing support that has helped her reach the world stage and get to that next step internationally. Rebecca Hart qualified both El Corona Texel, a 2009 Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Rowan O’Riley, for the team and Fortune 500, a 2010 Oldenburg gelding owned by Rowan O’Riley, as reserve. Hart noted about Rowan stepping in and supporting her as an owner and friend, “She believed in me enough to jump in, before she really knew who I was, and has stood by me through it all.” Hart continued, ” I will never forget sharing my podium moments with Rowan. It is directly because of her that we were able to secure two historic firsts for Team USA. Rowan enabled me to get the first US medal ever at the World Equestrian Games in 2018 and then to help bring home the first ever US Paralympic team medal in Tokyo 2020. She gave me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong goal of being able to stand on the Paralympic podium. I don’t have enough words to thank her and can’t really describe how much it means to me. I want to thank her for supporting me throughout this entire process of qualifying and competing in Tokyo with both of her horses—El Corona Texel and Fortune 500. Getting to sit on these horses and having an owner like Rowan to share these moments with, has made all the work over the last 20 years’ worth it. Rowan has been an unwavering supporter of not only me, but the entire para sport movement. It is because of owners like her, that we have been able to achieve the historic team bronze medal for the USA. Without our owners and horses, we would not be out there competing.” Hart added, I also want to thank my coach Jennifer Baumert and my groom Kjersten Lance. They worked insanely long days and put in so much effort to make this dream happen. I have the most amazing group of strong and talented women around me. They bring an unbelievable amount of good energy and knowledge to the table. Rowan, Kjersten, and Jenn have been such a blessing and I have become a better person and rider by knowing them.” Rowan O’Riley Also Connects to Annie Peavy Rowan was also connected to the sport through Annie Peavy who was part of the 2016 Paralympic Team in Rio. In 2015 Rowan O’Riley trained at the same barn as Peavy. O’Riley enjoyed watching Annie compete and getting to know the other athletes. This insured her to sponsor the Para Dressage shows at Global in Wellington with Rebecca Reno of Mission Control. Getting involved in Para Dressage wasn’t too far from her own knowledge. O’Riley commented, “I come from a dressage background, so I understand the concept of riding figures before a panel of judges, but Para Dressage really is a different sport. The horses are judged for their quality of movement and the frame in which they move, and Para Dressage is much stricter about those things than what I was used to. Para Equestrian sport values horses with a “cat-like” walk, with large strides and flowing movement throughout its whole body and no lateral steps, even on circles. In trot, Para Dressage horses are successful with a brisk energetic trot, pushing from behind and maintaining an upward-balanced frame that is never behind the vertical. Tex is brilliant and Moola consistent. At the elite levels, you need both, and fortunately over time and with training, they are both scoring very similarly.” Tex was named to the team, but Moola was selected as the Direct Alternate for this year’s Paralympic Team. O’Riley and Hart began their relationship in Spring of 2017. O’Riley had been watching Hart compete for several years and knew that her horse had recently retired. Hart met with her and made a very professional proposal, detailing her experience, accomplishments, and goals. “Hart showed me a proposed budget including the purchase price of a new horse, maintenance costs and competition and travel costs,” said O’Riley. “We came to an agreement and began planning to shop for a horse for her.” She continued, “Becca and I shopped for horses in Germany in the summer of 2017, visiting Isabel Werth’s barn in Germany and Helgstrand’s sales barn in Denmark. She knew what she wanted in her next competition partner, and it was Becca who found Tex, in Belgium. He had won the Belgian Young Horse Championships the previous year and was qualified for the Championships again when we bought him. Becca brought him home to Florida and competed for him in Tryon, North Carolina, only a few weeks later. We were very fortunate to find Moola the following winter in Florida. He was doing the Prix Saint George and I1 classes, but we saw his gaits and his utterly reliable tempo and decided he would be a great partner for Becca as well.” “We got to know each other well when we were horse shopping, driving between Germany, Denmark, and Belgium,” remembered O’Riley. “A road trip is a good test of a relationship. We talked for hours and sometimes ate candy for dinner and still liked each other at the end.” Rowan admires how strategic Rebecca is. She approaches her training plans with mini goals throughout the year so that she will be prepared to compete at the end. Rowan is inspired by passion, focus and determination which every athlete in the Para Dressage sport has tremendous amounts of. It was Rowan’s goal to one day go to the Olympics as an owner. O’Riley explained, “I was thrilled to cheer together with our American delegation when our athletes competed, and I was enormously proud to hear our national anthem played and see our flag flying in Tokyo when our athletes’ won medals. I am a huge fan of Rebecca Hart, so when my name is announced as the owner of her horses, it makes me really proud.” Being a part of para dressage has given Rowan the experience of what it takes for an athlete to go from the barn to the international arena. O’Riley commented, “Like all elite athletes, our Para Dressage athletes make huge sacrifices in their lives to be able to devote time and money to their training. Many of their families make those sacrifices along with them. And unlike able-bodied medal-winners, our successful Paralympic Athletes do not come home from the games to earn a living by teaching and training other athletes. I love this sport and I love the fact the athletes all stay throughout the CPEDI’s to watch each other’s rides and support one another. I am grateful to be involved in this high-performance discipline.”  Kate Shoemaker and Solitaer 40 at the Final Observation event for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall Craig Shoemaker and Kate. Photo courtesy of Kate Shoemaker Deena Shoemaker and Kate with Soli at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Photo courtesy of Kate ShoemakerA Family Affair for Kate Shoemaker, Dolton, and Solitaer 40 Kate Shoemaker (Wellington, Fla.) has ridden Dressage for 20 years, but it wasn’t until 2014 when Shoemaker and her mom bought their first real Dressage horse Dolton at two years old. Who eventually went on to partner with Roxanne Trunnell and became a very decorated gelding for the Para Dressage team. Shoemaker remembered, ” Dolton was only three when my longtime partner, Pacific M, retired at 18 years old. I will never forget sitting at the kitchen table with my parents, when my mom told me they’d like to support my journey toward Rio. I cried tears of joy, shock, and thankfulness. My parents surprised me with the most amazing offer to look for a competition age horse. My mom knows just how much passion and love I have for the horses and competing. I had already been in love with a big black 7-year-old horse in Germany that I followed for almost a year.” His name was Solitaer 40, a 2007 Hanoverian stallion, who became her team medal winning partner with the help of her parents Craig, and Deena Shoemaker. That was seven years ago and what started out as a journey for Rio turned into a much longer family adventure. “I know my family has sacrificed so much to allow me the opportunity to follow my dreams and I am so incredibly thankful,” said Shoemaker. “I only hope I will be able to repay them someday for all that they have done.” Shoemaker has enjoyed her parents being a part of this journey and at the Tokyo Paralympics her mom was there to be a part of history. Shoemaker expressed, “I know my mom didn’t want to make the trip alone but I’m so thankful she was there. The moment of sharing our team medal with her back in the barn with Soli that night was my favorite memory of the games. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Hopefully I made her proud, we did it, together.” Shoemaker also added, “I am so thankful to Lehua Custer. Not only did she join the journey with as much energy and passion as possible, but she also left behind all her clients for a month to help me pursue my dream. It’s an incredible barn family. I am also grateful to Alexus Sisley, who has groomed for about 5 years. She was an indispensable member of Team Soli. I couldn’t have done it without someone that knows Soli just as well as I do. I am also indebted to everyone working behind the scenes at the games and USEF as well as everyone who financially supported our team. None of it would be possible without these incredible people.”  Kate Shoemaker, Soli, and groom Alexus Sisley. Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall Beatrice de Lavalette and Shayna Simon at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Photo by US Equestrian. Beatrice de Lavalette with Clarc and trainer Shayna Simon prepping. Photo by Lindsay McCallBeatrice de Lavalette’s Family and Clarc Beatrice de Lavalette (Lake Worth Beach, Fla.) like Kate Shoemaker is an athlete that is supported from her parents Elizabeth and Nicolas de Lavalette. Beatrice and Clarc, 2007 KWPN gelding, have only been together since the Fall of 2020 where he came from Dutch Para-Equestrian Anni Meijer. Beatrice was aware of therapeutic riding when she lived in France because all the barns, she rode at had programs. It was when Ali Brock introduced her to Rebecca Hart when they really got involved. Beatrice commented, “I have enjoyed being a part of this sport and I want to thank my parents for supporting me mentally and financially over the past four years, I truly would not be here without you. Seeing my dad in the kiss & cry of Tokyo 2020 was truly special.” She continued, “I am thankful to have their support and to have Clarc. There are so many things I love about my horse. His willingness and want to work, always giving his all. I also want to thank Shayna Simon, my trainer and friend, for pushing me to be the best rider I can be. I am eternally grateful, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to be by the side of the ring with me. Finally, I want to thank Megan Tye, who took on the responsibilities and pressure of being a Paralympic groom with such ease. I enjoyed the journey to the Paralympics, and I am also thankful for my three teammates, Kate, Roxy, and Becca who are the most amazing friends and role models. They all inspire me to work harder every day. Watching them win that bronze medal was a fabulous moment.” Bea’s mom Elizabeth de Lavalette has enjoyed watching the relationship between Clarc and Bea develop. She remembers the moment Bea’s former horse DeeDee recognized her daughter after her accident. She loves that feeling of what these horses do for not only Para Dressage riders but all humans. Elizabeth concluded, “Clarc made a dream and a goal come true.” The road to Tokyo included many wonderful horse owners. Some were friends and some were family. Team alternates Sydney Collier (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and All In One, a 2009 Hanoverian gelding, was grateful for her owner Georgina Bloomberg. Fellow alternate Charlotte Merle-Smith (Ocala, Fla.) and Guata, owned her own 2011 Dutch Warmblood mare. Without the support of horse owners, the U.S. Para Dressage medal winning team would not have had the individual success or the team success that they experienced. For the first time in history the U.S. riders broke personal records, topped the international stage with their scores, and earned two Gold Medals with Roxanne Trunnell and Dolton and one exciting Bronze for the team. If you are interested in becoming a horse owner of an athlete or you want to learn more please contact Hope Hand at hope@uspea.org. Or visit www.USPEA.org. The USEF International High-Performance Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, USOPC, and USEF sponsors and members.  U.S. Equestrian horses and riders at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Photo by U.S. Equestrian. U.S. Equestrian Laureen Johnson, chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline, and team members Kate Shoemaker, Roxy Trunnell, and Rebecca Hart at the Tryon CPEDI3* and Final Observation Event for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics June 18-20, 2021 in Mill Spring, NC. . Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall About The United States Para-Equestrian AssociationUnited States Para-Equestrian Association Mission Statement To Help Develop, Promote, Support, and Sustain all USA Para Equestrian Athletes for Regional, National, and International Competition with a focus on Paralympic Equestrian Sport. United States Para-Equestrian Association Vision Statement The vision of the United States Para Equestrian Association (USPEA) is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America for athletes with an eligible physical impairment, promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grass roots to the Paralympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare of its horses, and embracing this vision, to be the best national Para Equestrian Association in the world. About USPEAThe United States Para-Equestrian Association (USPEA) includes every recognized equestrian discipline that is practiced by athletes with an eligible physical impairment with a focus on Paralympic Equestrian Sports. . The USPEA is a network of current and past athletes, owners, officials, event organizers, and equestrian enthusiasts. The Association assists athletes to get involved and expand their knowledge and experience in the Disciplines of Para-Equestrian. USPEA was created to fill a need to assist Para Equestrian disciplines when they came under the governance of the FEI. While Para Equestrian disciplines were originally segregated, they now are integrated in international sport. As each individual Para Equestrian discipline develops, it is USPEA’s mission to always serve as an advisory resource with the ultimate goal that the established able-bodied discipline affiliate will integrate within their organization. In 2010, the USPEA earned its 501 (c)(3) status and became a recognized International affiliate association of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) working together to grow the FEI recognized disciplines by helping to provide press, educational information, symposiums and competition opportunities for athletes with eligible physical impairments. 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. The USPEA is a USEF Recognized National Affiliate. The USEF International High Performance Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, USOPC, and USEF Sponsors and Members. For more information please visit US Equestrian at https://www.usef.org/compete/disciplines/para-equestrian. To view an online version of this press release please visit: https://uspea.org/category/recent-uspea-press-news/ Media Contact:Name: Lindsay Y. McCallEmail address: Lindsay@uspea.orgPhotos and Articles Copyright(c) 2018 United States Para-Equestrian Association. All Rights Reserved. If you have received this e-mail and no longer wish to receive any e-mails regarding the USPEA please click on the Unsubscribe link below. USPEA will only send e-mails that are news related to the USPEA.www.USPEA.orgFOLLOW US |
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