58 SIDELINES DECEMBER 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Para-dressage
riders, supporters
and Paralympian/
USPEA President
Hope Hand at the
2012 Dressage
Affaire CPEDI3* in
Del Mar, California.
Sydney is the third
athlete from the left
and Hope Hand is in
the front row in the
blue jacket.
Sydney aboard
Otto, owned by Sue
and Kevin Niblo,
at the 2012 USEF
Para-Equestrian
Dressage National
Championship held
in Gladstone, New
Jersey in June.
Otto was ridden
by Paralympian
Donna Ponessa
throughout the
2011-2012
calendar year.
has by my age. That is what makes me, me and it is what makes
me a strong and persevering person. When my frst roadblock
occurred and I couldn’t walk, it was the thought of my horses that
kept me working through each challenge. I kept thinking, I need
to be able to walk my horse, I need to be able to tack him up, and
I have to be able to groom him.”
On December 20, 2009, Sydney broke her femur in a horseback
riding accident resulting in an extensive healing period. While she
was recovering from her broken femur she had a mini stroke in
March, 2009 that included brain swelling, signs that were missed
due to Sydney being in a wheelchair for her recovery. This brain
swelling resulted in the complete loss of use in her left arm.
Sydney commented, “When I broke my femur it was a really
long recovery. Through the entire healing process I was thinking
about my horse and dreaming about getting back on. I was so
anxious to get back to riding that it pushed me to work harder.
When I was lying in bed there was not one minute that passed
that I didn’t think about horses. I was doing art about horses,
reading dressage books and trying to fgure out ways to improve
my riding.”
In 2010 at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky,
Sydney and her family ran across a young para-equestrian
wearing the United States logo. Sydney blurted out in her normally
enthusiastic voice, “You look like someone I should know.” The
Young Rider Jonathan Wentz laughed and took Sydney to
introduce her to trainer Kai Handt and past Paralympian Hope
Hand who is President of the United States Para-Equestrian
Association. This greeting would open Sydney’s equestrian
future to a world of international equestrian events, travel and the
opportunity to work with world-renowned trainers and riders. “It
was liberating when I met Jonathan Wentz and watched para-
dressage at the World Equestrian Games,” explained Sydney.
“It made me realize I could actually have realistic goals and that
there are other people out there like me that love horses and have
physical challenges.”
On September 29, 2012 Jonathan Wentz passed away less
than a month after his Paralympic debut at the 2012 London
Paralympics. Sydney added, “If it wouldn’t have been for Jonathan
I don’t think I would be involved in this highly competitive discipline.
He was so inspirational as a rider and a person and I am sad to
see him pass away at such a young age.”
After learning about para-dressage, Sydney dipped her toes
into national competition. After many top national accolades
Sydney went to her frst CPEDI3* in Wellington, Florida. She then
competed at the 2012 Dressage Affaire CPEDI3*, the Houston
Dressage Society CPEDI3* and fnally the 2012 USEF Para-
Equestrian Dressage National Championships.
Sydney’s success at the National Championships has given
her the desire to train for the 2014 World Equestrian Games. She
commented, “I am determined to work hard and train my butt off
to accomplish my goals. I would love to be selected for the United
States Para-Equestrian Dressage Team for the 2014 World
Equestrian Games in Normandy and I hope to earn a spot on the
2016 Paralympic Equestrian Team headed to Rio.”
She continued, “My greatest fear in the future is that I will have a
bleed and will go blind because of Wyburn-Mason. It would make
me really sad that I couldn’t see all of the vibrant colors of the
world, or my horse and his big beautiful eyes. I know I would be
able to adjust to it but I think I would miss seeing everything and
doing everything how I used to do it. I don’t really have any fears
about having any other physical limitations because I can always
work through physical limitations. Physical limitations aren’t really
limitations; they are just how other people see me and it’s just how
I have to live.”
About the writer: Lindsay McCall is a lifelong hunter/jumper rider originally from
Ohio. She is a talented photographer and makes it her career to advocate for the
equestrian sport through photojournalism. Lindsay works with multiple equestrian
organizations and is the Public Relations Manager for the United States Para-
Equestrian Association.