New Heights (cont.)
N E W
H E I
G H T S
before and was determined not to make this the first time. Clean over the fenc- es, she incurred one time fault in each round, adding only 2 faults to the Team score. Kendall had two great rounds, but it was Sage, the only member of the Young Rider team who had never previ- ously competed in a NAJYRC, who re- ally showed what she was made of. It was her first time competing on
Hot Pants at the 1.50-meter level and they struggled to make it around the first course of the day, incurring a few too many faults and were counted as the dropped score. But she came back strong Team day, rode more aggressively and appeared to be much more com- fortable nailing a faultless second round. It was her fault-free round that ensured the Team the Silver Medal. Being part of the Sil-
ver Medal Team, Dani’s low scores moved her up in the Individual rankings. Not an- ticipating being in the running for an Indi- vidual Medal, due to her score from the first day, we all relaxed a bit. Saturday was an off day so horses and rid- ers were able to have a break from the compe- tition and the relentless heat. My husband and I went to the movies and found that the best heat and stress reliever in Kentucky was Mint Juleps! The last day, In-
previous rounds, he really believed that she was capable of winning a Medal. He knew that the day was going to be tough, knew that the courses would be bigger and more technical than the three previous rounds. However, Evey had complete faith that both Dani and San Diego would have no problem with the remaining two courses. Entering the arena in reverse order of
seen me at a show knows I don’t have the temperament to be a competitive athlete, and I can’t even image what Dani had to have been feeling at that time. The next rider, who had been sitting
their Individual standing, the early rid- ers found the course to be very difficult. The water jump was tough, the fences were big, and the time was tight. The time proved to be the most challenging factor for Dani, who achieved a fault- less round over the fences and incurring just three time faults. She now sat in 9th place going into the final round. The competitors again rode in reverse
in 3rd place, and who had great rounds throughout the entire competition, hit her final rail, and all of a sudden Dani won the Individual Bronze Medal! She had managed to recover from her first round drive-by and move from 17th place to finish in 3rd place overall. I think this is what they mean when they say, "It’s not over till the fat lady sings". Dani was determined to win an In-
dividual Medal as a Young Rider and that dream came through this year. San Diego went through the entire 5 rounds without hitting one rail, incurring only time faults. Their circle on the first day really set them back, but through perseverance, determination, and drive, they continued to fight to the end and win the Bronze Medal in her last year still eligible to com- pete at Young Riders. I think this why as par-
dividual Medal Competition, Dani entered it in 9th place. No one was really expecting her to be in contention for a Medal at all at this point. She would need to be nearly perfect, and the other nine great riders would have to make mistakes for her to have a chance. This was not something anyone in the
group anticipated, which the exception of Dani’s trainer Everardo Hegewisch. After seeing the consistency of her
and Dani all of a sudden was sitting in 4th place with three riders to go. The last three rides were a blur to me.
order of their standing and my husband, Eric, pointed out that there were less than four faults separating the riders in 3rd through 9th standings. With six riders ranked ahead of her, Dani still did not believe that she had a chance at a medal, but she was fast and she was clean. Then, something happened that sur- prised everyone. The next five riders hit rails or stopped out
As a parent, such a competition is cause for extreme anxiety. Anyone who has
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for preparing Dani both physically and mentally. Having ridden on the Mexican Young Rider, World Cup, and Olympic teams, he was unrelenting in getting Dani and her horse physically fit and ready for the competition. He believed in her, which in turn helped her to be- lieve in herself. If you are a parent reading this, and
you child has any interest in trying out for the NAJYRC, I encourage you to not hesitate. There is no other oppor- tunity that will better prepare your child for a future in the sport of show jump- ing. It has been a wonderful experience for me as a parent and the opportunity of a lifetime for my daughter.
Top to Bottom: Danielle on course with San Diego; Danielle on the podium accepting her Individul Bronze Medal. Photos © Sportfot
ents, we encourage our children to participate in the sport of horse jump- ing. We know that life presents enormous chal- lenges and some days you end up lying face down in the mud or sitting in the middle of the water jump, and other days you end up on the podium wearing your ribbons and raising your flowers. We are so very grateful to Everardo Hegawisch,
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