Tuesday September 19, 2006

U.S. ParaEquestrian Riders Travel To Belgium to Qualify for the 2008 Paralympic Games - Hong Kong

Competitor Robin Brueckmann On The Scene Reports

U.S. ParaEquestrian Team Member Robin Brueckmann is keeping a journal on the trials and tribulations of qualifying for the U.S. Team that will travel to the international ParaEquestrian dressage show in Moorsele, Belgium, held September 28 to October 1, 2006. 48-year old Robin Brueckmann has been disabled with reflex sympathetic dystrophy for twelve years but competes in open and ParaEquestrian shows.

Robin writes: "In 2003, I took my 1997 Hanoverian gelding, Richmond, to Moorsele, Belgium to compete in the World Championships. We were seventh; he was just six years old, the minimum age for horses at that time. Ten days later, he was Reserve Champion Six Year Old Horse at Dressage at Devon.

This year, we were selected to represent the US on a team to go back to Moorsele, Belgium, for one of only a few qualifiers for the 2008 Paralympic Games. These will be held in Hong Kong.

There were three riders selected: Rebecca Hart from Erie, PA, on her Hanoverian gelding Norteassa (aka Nordkap or Pippin) Barbara Grassmyer from Placerville, California, on her Dutch mare Mibis myself, on Richmond (by Ramiro's Bube out of Salvana (Salvano). We were selected on the basis of performance throughout the year and on our performance at Qualifiers at Gladstone, NJ, in June, at the Festival of Champions, where the riders for Aachen were selected as well."

Join Robin in her experiences On the Road to Belgium