TEAM BRAVEHEART is training with Jennifer Schrader-Williams for part of May.  May 20th we leave for Gladstone, NJ.  We will be driving about 250 miles a day for 2900 miles!!!!  If anyone knows a business that would donate a $100 gas card, we could use them!!!  We would very much like to have 25 people or businesses send gas cards— if anyone knows a business or individual interested in sending one and becoming a Team Braveheart member, please contact us.  On our drive, we are staying with dressage groups, pony clubs, 4Hs… whoever will give us a paddock overnight.  I am giving talks at some of the stops to those groups.  Two horses are going:  Brendan Braveheart, of course, and Tailor Made, a 19-year-old Anglo-Trakehner.  We will be sending photos and stories from the road!  Gallops website will carry our travel log.  The final selection trial is at the USET Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ, June 10-13th.

Exciting news:  Courtney King-Dye might be at the selection trial.  We are very excited and hope she will be there!!!  Courtney is competing today in her first international competition since her accident, as a para-equestrian.  Having gone through the process of becoming disabled, I have a deeper understanding of how important having a goal like this is and how important horses are to recovering as much as possible. This is especially poignant for me as my disability ends my career May 2.  Horses, my friends, family and supporters have made more of a difference than they will ever know in my ability to do the most I can after this difficult transition.  I thank you all!!!!  For me, its about concentrating on what you can do, not dwelling on what you can’t.  Like most if not all para-equestrians, Courtney exemplifies that “if life gives you lemons” spirit.  She renamed her horse “Make Lemonade.”

Jennifer Schrader Williams will fly out to Gladstone to coach.

After Gladstone I will be giving some talks and demonstrations.  A lot of what a para-rider does can carry over to other riders.  If I anyone has ideas on ways I can give back to the community, please don’t hesitate to make suggestions.

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Very truly yours,

Lise Yervasi

Lexington, KY – The 2012 USEF Dressage Festival of Champions and USEF Dressage Selection Trial for the 2012 Olympic Games will take place June 8-10 and 13-17, 2012 at the USET Foundation Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ. Members of the media who would like to request credentials to cover should submit an application by June 1, 2012.

The competition will play host to several championship divisions. On June 8-10, riders will contest the National Pony Rider, National Junior, National Young Rider and National Grand Prix/Olympic Games Selection Trials Part I divisions. The National Young Adult “Brentina Cup”, National Intermediaire I and National Grand Prix/Olympic Games Selection Trials Part II divisions will take place June 13-17.

The 2012 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship and Paralympic Selection Trial will also take place between the two competition weekends at the USEF Dressage Festival of Champions. The riders will jog on June 10 and compete June 11-13.

To obtain the necessary application form, please contact Kathleen Landwehr at klandwehr@usef.org with a brief explanation of your media assignment.

For more information about the event, please visit: http://www.usef.org/_iframes/breedsdisciplines/discipline/alldressage/dressagefestival.aspx

Dear ODS Members,

Unfortunately, the fundraiser which was mentioned earlier in an e-mail has been cancelled, as I simply wasn’t able to get it scheduled and promoted from here.  I do have a bunch of baseball tickets and baseball memorabilia from famous ball player Joe Rudi, and VIP tickets for U of O games, and some other silent auction items, but no forum to use to auction them off at, yet.  I am currently looking for a volunteer who can help with fundraising event planning.

Point Two Air Vests is sponsoring a vest.  As you may know, Brendan occasionally bucks, and I was bucked off in a freestyle just after the World Dressage Masters, leading to an ER visit and several weeks recovering.  The vest will make riding safer.  I am thrilled to have their support.  Kerrits and Gallops continue their support.

Jennifer Schrader Williams and Jessica Levin have thrown their full support behind Team Braveheart, offering support before and during the final selection trial, and registering to go with Team Braveheart to the Paralympics if we are selected.  Team Braveheart has completed Paralympic registration.  The actual four riders and horses will be selected at the final selection, but all long listed riders were required to register by April 1.

The US Para Equestrian Team promises to announce the place and time of the final selection very soon.  The selection will be in June at Gladstone in between the able-bodied selections.

My kids are lunging me daily, on a 21-year-old Roemer daughter, to help with my endurance and balance.  I am training on Brendan Braveheart and Taylor Made, a 19-year-old Trakehner, trained by Crystal Kroetch, that I found for free on Dreamhorse, and was given by the Mix family of Reno.  I was able to meet Crystal while in Florida. She rides Lymrix, who came from Libby and Jules Anderson, who my horse Brendan Braveheart came from.  Small wonderful world!

Thank you again to all of the ODS and Region 6 members supporting me and watch for more updates to come your way!

Sincerely,

Lise Yervasi – Team Braveheart

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Wellington, FL -As the sun rose over the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL the Gold Coast Dressage Opener CPEDI3* commenced. Twenty-three para-equestrian dressage riders from seven countries vied for top scores under F.E.I. judges Carlos Lopes (POR), Hanneke Gerritsen (NED), and Marc Urban (BEL). For two weekends, beginning with the Gold Coast Dressage Opener CPEDI3* and ending with the Wellington Classic Sunshine Challenge CPEDI3*, para-equestrian dressage riders have the opportunity to earn their qualifying scores and increase their international rankings before the 2012 London Paralympics. For each country the next two weekends will mark the closeout of the team rankings before London. Dueling for the top positions in Friday’s Team Test were Canada and the United States. Competition will continue Saturday with the Individual Test, and end Sunday with the Freestyle competition followed by the awards ceremony.

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