Day 2 at Red Tail Farm. An even earlier morning. Another successful day as I rode through my FEI Grade 2 Team Test. Sara Schmitt and Maggie O'Leary helped to make changes to my equipment before I got on. It was great to have them both here for my ride for the support and so they could see how things work out in the show ring compared to schooling at home. My equipment is like putting together a puzzle and it’s great to have a team that supports me and challenges me in my goal

Tuesday was a bright and early morning ride for our Individual Championship Test at Red Tail Farm! I think Taco was the most relaxed he’s ever been. Sara Schmitt also said something in the warm up that clicked with me to get better bend throughout the test. I haven’t been riding very long and even though this is such a big part of my life, I am constantly learning little things. That’s the great thing about this sport- you can constantly improve and learn! I’ve been back to r

I'm behind on my updates! At the end of July I showed my Team Test at the ESDCTA Summer Days show at USET. It was a tough month for me with my health and I was only able to ride a handful of times. I wasn’t sure I was going to show, but I felt I needed to push through and do it. Taco is super and he will carry me through no matter how I feel, so I knew I could trust him. He felt great in the warm up. In the middle of my test I almost excused myself as I didn’t think I was goi

Last week I showed my Individual Championship Test at Red Tail Farm. It was a hard week for me physically and show day was especially rough. I was really struggling with my breathing, but insisted on going through with my ride. I’m pretty stubborn and will always push myself. Today I just had the goal of finishing my test, but I learned a lot more about Taco. Taco truly loves the show ring and knows when I’m not at my best. He will always take care of me. When I just let him

Last week I had a great time speaking at the American Hippotherapy Association's Level II Principles Course at Mane Stream. If you're interested in having me out to speak for your group, organization, business, or school, send me a message! Contact ME #hippotherapy #paraequestrian #equestrian #disability #wheelchair #paralysis #adaptivesports

At the end of May, Taco and I headed up to Canada to the Caledon Spring Jubilee CPEDI3* with Sara Schmitt and Taco's BFF and Sara's German Riding Pony, Jafar, and Caelyn Adams, super groom. This was mine and Taco's first trip to compete out of the country and we were selected to represent tthe Adequan® U.S. Para Dressage Team along with Mary Jordan, Laurietta Oakleaf, and our Chef d'Equipe, Regina Cristo. As a Team we won Silver! I was so proud of how Taco handled the long tr

Taco is home in New Jersey and I’m getting ready to leave Wellington, but today I found out that Taco and I were FEI Para Champions for the White Fences Equestrian Center Championship Series! Thanks to all the sponsors that make this series possible. What a great show season! #champions #dressage #dressagerider #paraequestrian #paradressage #equestrian #disability #boxwheelchairs #saraschmittdressage

On March 7-10, 2019, Taco and I competed in our second CPEDI3* of the season at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival! On Thursday, All horses passed the jog-- Paco Taco was accepted with flying colors. Taco and I have been training really hard with Sara Schmitt's guidance. We've been making adjustments to our equipment and pushing our activity level to have a stronger, more connected relationship. We felt really good going into this competition. I was very proud of our rides

A couple weeks ago, Taco and I wrapped up our first CPEDI3* of the season at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. The couple months leading up to the competition were rough for me physically with pneumonia, a few double ear infections and sinus infections, bronchitis, and a little surgery that ended up having some complications. I hadn’t ridden for a couple months prior to coming down to Florida and had been flat on my back from the surgery right before coming down. Plus, th

Thanks to Erica Andrews from PBS39 for coming out and sharing my story about my journey to the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo. It would be a dream come true if I made the US Team, but every little step of the way has been amazing so far-- the people I've met, the goals I've accomplished, and the places I've been! Take a look if you haven't had a chance to see it yet: https://www.wlvt.org/blogs/hunterdon/para-equestrian-trains-for-2020-paralympics/ #paradressage #paraequestrian #di