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Monday, January 21, 2008

In Run for 2008 Paralympic Games Lauren Barwick Teams up with Walter Zettl at Ocala Winter Dressage
By Lynndee Kemmet for DressageDaily.com

Paralympian Lauren Barwick is Aiming for her Second Paralympic Games

Barwick has long been a rider and it was eight years ago that a 100-pound bale of hay fell from a 10-foot height onto her back, paralyzing her. She has an amazingly humorous attitude about her paralysis and when asked if the accident was painful, laughed and said, “Nope. I didn’t feel a thing.” Despite the accident, she continued on with her riding and successfully qualified to compete in the Athens Olympics where she finished sixth among 21.

The road to Athens wasn’t easy, however, as Barwick had to train while working full-time for the Royal Bank of Canada. This latest effort to become a Paralympian has been made much easier by the sponsorship of the Parellis. “It was too difficult trying to work a full-time job and train. But the Parellis gave me the opportunity to train full-time. I live with them full-time in Florida and then go with them the five months to Colorado.”

Zettl, who has been working with the Parellis for the past year, believes their natural horsemanship approach has given Barwick a great foundation that should easily carry her into the upcoming Paralympics. “They’re very soft with their hands and the horses have a great relationship with the riders. It’s wonderful to see such nice relationships between the horse and rider. They start building this on the ground and at their barn I see that the horses are very happy and all the riders there are very happy, as it should be,” he said.

Zettl may be impressed with Barwick, but it’s clear that she’s just as impressed with him. “He’s fabulous,” she said of the master. “He has a very different approach. Instead of forcing your horse to do it, it just happens naturally and the horse offers you so much more. With Walter’s approach, the horses look happy because they are happy.”

One of the horses Barwick test rode for the 2008 Paralympics at Ocala Winter Dressage was Maile. Both Zettl and Barwick noted that it’s not easy for any horse to be partnered with a Paralympian, particularly if that horse is used to a fully able-bodied rider. “The horse had to deal with no legs, just getting direction out of the hands and balance of the rider and the horse is used to legs,” Zettl said

To compensate for not being able to use her legs, Barwick rides with two whips. “I’ve only ridden this mare six times,” she said. “This is my first test ride ever on her and I think she did great. There are a lot of things I’d like to work on, but that’s just her getting used to me because she’s been ridden her whole life with legs and now there are no legs, just sticks. She’s really a very good mare, very understanding and very willing and very forgiving. That’s what I like about her.”

One other thing both Barwick and Zettl agreed on is that the Florida Horse Park is the perfect place to show. Aside from the friendliness of the showground’s staff, Zettl was impressed with the space and footing – and not just in the rings.

“Wherever you ride, the ground is good,” he said. The Ocala Winter Dressage was Barwick’s first time competing at the Florida Horse Park and she said she’ll certainly come back. “It’s great here. It’s well-organized and I love the area.”