MARCH/APRIL 2014 THE RIDER /7 The 2014 OEF Youth Bursary recipients Continued from Page 6 The 2014 OEF Youth Bursary recipients include:


2’6” jumping course and plans on using her youth bursary for riding lessons in order to continue to develop her skills. The Spencerville resident has never had the opportunity to participate in a clinic and hopes to change that this year thanks to the OEF Youth Bursary she received. She also has her eye on a new saddle to replace the well-worn model she’s currently making do with.


Disabled (TEAD) and has since logged almost 400 hours cleaning, grooming, tacking up, side walking and leading horses. Rachel plans on using her bursary to become a CanTRA certified therapeutic riding instructor so she can make it her life’s work to put smiles on the faces of thera- peutic riders.


landen has big goals to become the best rider she can be. The St. Catharines resident has been riding for the past decade and spent her early years helping out at barns to gain more experience and supplement the weekly riding lessons her parents provided her with. While working twice a week at an Eventing stable, she completed her Learn to Ride lev- els 1-3 and plans to use her youth bursary money to com- plete more testing so she can apply for her English Instruc- tor of Beginner certification. Chelsea currently works at a stable in exchange for a part-lease of one of their horses and hopes to show on the Trillium circuit this season – a goal the OEF Youth Bursary will help make possible. Chelsea strives to be a mentor for young riders at her stable and has also demonstrated her compassion for horses by raising money for Whispering Hearts Horse Rescue, an equine charity.


riding for four years and travels to a stable over an hour from her home twice a week for rid- ing lessons. The 15-year- old aspiring Eventer has been working hard for the past year with Montana, a Welsh Cob mare rides


and helps at the barn wherever possible, money for lessons is tight. The money she received through the OEF Youth Bursary will allow her to continue her lessons and work towards competing in a few events this year.


long list of achievements and an even longer list of goals. Although she only started riding about a year ago, Rachel is already planning on testing her skills with the Learn to Ride program and dreams of one day owning her own horse. Rachel’s love of horses is matched only by her love of help- ing others reach their own personal goals. In 2012, she began volunteering for the Equestrian Association for the


Rachel Pietracupa At 17 years of age, Rachel Pietracupa already has a


hasn’t looked back. Since climbing in the saddle for the first time, the 16-year-old has dabbled in Western Pleasure, Gaming, Dressage, Eventing and currently rides Hunter on a mare she part-leases. Working tirelessly to improve her skills, in the past year Heidi has progressed to jumping a


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Heidi Sloan Heidi Sloan started taking lessons nine years ago and


s u m m e r , where they placed fifth. While Char- lotte babysits


Ent ry- level short courses and finished their first full event


last


lessons. They have worked their way up from Pre- Entry


and


she at


Charlotte Jones-Whitehead Toronto resident Charlotte Jones-Whitehead has been


Chelsea Dernederlanden Although she’s only 16 years old, Chelsea Derneder-


isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and help out around the barn. His introduction to horses started two years ago when he would accompany his mom when she went to ride a horse she part-boarded. While she rode, he would muck stalls, clean tack and anything else that needed to be done. When he passed her “test” to see if he was willing to do the less glamorous jobs associated with horses, he graduated to riding. But it wasn’t until the elderly barn owner was badly


Xavier Sagan Borsato Sixteen-year-old Xavier Sagan Borsato of Brampton


Michaela Tribble For 17-year-old Michaela Tribble of Keswick, riding is


her outlet, the barn is her sanctuary and her horse is her best friend. Michaela started riding about seven years ago and has competed at the Trillium level, but she always dreamed of owning her own horse. In August 2012, after saving up enough money, her dream came true when she bought Princess. When Michaela’s mom died last year, her life was turned upside down. The barn where she had spent so much time with her mother became her refuge. Determined to keep the dream alive, every cent she makes at her job goes towards paying for Princess. Receiving an OEF Youth Bur- sary will allow Michaela to start saving for her post-sec- ondary education and she also plans on using some of the money for riding lessons to develop her skills.


Varela has been riding for the past 10 years and


injured in an accident that Xavier’s true colours shone. With no staff to keep the barn running, Xavier came out every day after school to help with chores. In return, he was given the opportunity to ride a horse named Crown. They have made great progress and have grown together as a team, but Xavier would like to take his riding to the next level. He plans on putting his youth bursary towards more riding lessons with his coach and hopes to take Crown to horse shows off property.


with chores and preparing for lessons. At the stable where she currently rides, she helps out with chores almost every weekend and is always willing to assist with whatever is needed. As a competitor, Gabriela shows sportsmanship and a genuine passion for the sport and always puts her horse first. Gabriela plans to purchase a new riding helmet with her youth bursary funds and will use the remainder to continue taking riding lessons and per- haps attend a few horse shows, too. For more information on the OEF or its Youth Bursary program, visit www.horse.on.ca


moment at the barn. The 16- year-old from Brampton has a long history of volunteer ing. For many years she assisted her stable with its summer camp program, includ- ing caring for the program’s horses and help- ing


campers every


spends spare


Gabriela Varela Ga b r i e l a


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