4/ THE RIDER SEPTEMBER 2010 HILLS OF HEADWATERS SPOTLIGHT Judi Island, Paralympian


Judi Island has become an accomplished rider since a motor vehicle accident 16 years ago when she suffered a C-3 spinal cord injury (Incomplete Quadriplegia) that left her para- lyzed below the neck. Told that she would never walk again, she left the hospital in a wheelchair after 12 months and turned to therapeutic riding to improve her strength and mobility.


After 8 years of commit- ment, determination and learning how to compensate for her limi- tations, she qualified with her horse, Gitano, for the Canadian Para Equestrian Team.


At the ‘2003 World Cham- pionships for Riders with a Dis- ability’ in Moorselle, Belgium, she was a double Bronze medal- ist qualifying for the ‘2004 Athens Paralympics’ and earned a team spot at the ‘2004 Athens Paralympics’ for the Canadian Equestrian Team.


Judi has represented Cana- da in 6 international competi- tions earning a total of 9 medals for Canada.


Successfully returning to international competition this year at the Windreach Interna- tional, Judi placed second in both the Team Test and Freestyle to take home a Silver riding ‘Wouldja Believe It’, who was the only horse competing from a therapeutic riding centre. Today Judi is teamed up again with ‘Wouldja Believe It’ repre- senting C.A.R.D. in Toronto.


Judi’s commitment to the sport of ParaEquestrian extends beyond the com- petition ring. From 2001 to 2004, she was elected Rider Representative for ‘Para


Lindsay Grice: Bridging the communication gap between horses and riders


After 20 years of running a horse facility in the Hills of Headwa- ter area, Lindsay Grice stepped away from her busy boarding, training and lesson stable several years ago to focus more on her passion to teach. She loves teaching both seasoned competitors and novice horse lovers not only the hows but also the whys of riding.


Judi Island and Bill Lower


With a knack for simplifying the complex, Lindsay has become a popular speaker and clinician at horse expos and conferences as well as 4H clubs and private farms. With word pictures, memorable points and humourous stories, she specializes in explaining the science of equine behaviour and sports psy- chology for the competitive rider. “I teach dressage, hunter and western riders at clinics and at pri- vate farms. Some trailer their horse to me. Many are trying so hard, but they’re just not speaking so their horses are listening. I scan the horse and rider working as a team through some of my favorite patterns and then target the trouble spots I see - mixed messages or noisy cues from


ing trained hundreds of horses, I have can draw on a lot of my own case studies!”


the rider…distraction, fear or an area resistance from the horse. I listen to their account of their last horse show and try to put the puzzle pieces together to give them a winning game plan, based on the science of how horses and humans think. Hav-


Lindsay Grice knows first hand that a ride can be won or lost inside the rider’s and horse’s brain. As someone who’s been there – forgot- ten courses, made mistakes, endured a hollering coach, felt the competi- tion jitters and made it to the win- ner’s circle, Lindsay shares the keys she wishes she’d known with her stu- dents.


For more information contact Lindsay at (519) 938 8815 or visit her web site.


Barbara Mitchell & John Taylor of Corner Stone Farms


Judi Island at The Royal


Equestrian Canada’ and for 5 years worked passionately as an OnTRA Direc- tor organizing ParaEquestrian clinics and competitions to promote and to help oth- ers to advance and live their dreams.


Barbara Mitchell’s experience as a high school teacher has given added insight to her training career with horses. For many years, Barbara coached junior and adult riders to many provincial and national awards. Bar- bara’s balanced, focused and disciplined approach led Ian Millar to select Barbara to coach his daughter Amy through her junior years. Amy is now a Canadian Eques- trian Team member.


Barbara Mitchell is an Equine Canada Senior Judge for Hunter, Equitation, Hack & Jumper. She is the Ontario Hunter Jumper Association past president and is on the Jump Canada Board of Directors. Barbara also holds all her Judging cards with the United States Eques- trian Federation.


John Taylor has been promoted to FEI I judge for Jumpers. He is also an experienced Equine Canada and USEF Senior Judge for Hunter, Equitation, Hack & Jumper. John is the Chair on the Jump


Canada Board. He is also a pro- fessional announcer for horse shows.


Complete Retirement Care Joan Doyle


(519) 855-4780


RR #1, Orton, ON L0N 1N0


retirement79@yahoo.ca


The couple spends their performing their various judg- ing duties in the United States, and time at their private farm in Orangeville while running high level Corner Stone dressage and hunter/jumper shows. This sum- mer, they held four at the Cale- don Equestrian Park in Pal- grave. For more information, visit www.cornerstonefarms.com


This year Lindsay will be teach- ing Equine Behaviour for a new Uni- versity of Guelph year- long course. She’s frequently an online guest lec- turer for Equine Guelph courses. As an equine columnist, she refers to herself as a “horse detec- tive”, piecing together the clues from the dilemmas readers recount and suggesting a solution in the regular Q and A columns she writes. Many of theses columns are archived on her site www.lgrice.com.


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