34/ SEPTEMBER 2019 THE RIDER My Bella, Our Sunrise “My Bella” is what


rider Scarlett always calls the horse she rides at Sun- rise Therapeutic Riding & Learning Centre in Puslinch, Ontario. Bella is an 11-year-old ‘polka-dot’ Pony of the Americas mare, and Scarlett is a six-year-old girl who loves to ride…and has autism. Scarlett has been riding


at Sunrise for two years, and her family has been “over the moon excited” by the changes and growth they have seen during this time, which they attribute to the therapeutic riding program. Before she began rid-


ing, Scarlett preferred not to interact with the people and situations around her. She would repeat greetings when prompted by a parent, but rarely initiated conver- sation on her own….until Bella entered her life! “Over the past two years, she has really come out of her shell so much and is now more externally-fo- cussed than internally (un- less she is tired),” says her grandmother, Julie. Scarlett knows her volunteers’ names and looks at them and talks to them while waiting for Bella to enter the arena, sometimes even com- plimenting them on some- thing they are wearing. Becoming more exter-


nally-focussed helped Scar- lett to understand object constancy - that things still


NAYC 2019 Continued from Page 33


of Drummondville, QC, they scored 195.424, less than five points off from the podium. US Region 4 collected team gold on a final score of 203.182, and US Region 2’s score of 202.636 earned silver. The bronze medal- ists were US Region 9 on a com- bined total of 199.637. “It’s important to get the


kids in the team situation, be- cause you never get that experi- ence on your own,” explained David Ziegler, who was Chef


exist when out of sight. The first glimmer of her under- standing of this concept came when she asked one day (at home), “What do you think my Bella is doing right now?” to her surprised mother, Lindsey. The special relationship


between Scarlett and Bella has also helped Scarlett to understand reciprocity - in- dividuals helping each other. Every week, Scarlett thanks Bella and gives her carrots after their lesson to- gether (see photo at right), in appreciation for what Bella has given her. Physically, riding has


greatly improved Scarlett’s coordination and motor skills. When she started rid- ing, Scarlett needed a lot of physical support from her sidewalkers (volunteers who walk next to the rider). She now sits with minimal sup- port, uses a saddle (instead of a surcingle and pad), and can communicate with Bella using her legs and hands as well as her voice. Her mother has noticed a marked improvement in her fine motor skills - she can now use scissors and has the dexterity to play with more age-appropriate toys, which often have many little pieces. “However, I think the


rest of our family gets as much benefit out of Sunrise as Scarlett does”, says Julie, “as we get HOPE! Two


and happy to see me.” She noted that Scarlett was al- ways ready to see the hu- mour in things - such as whenever Bella snorted! Laura volunteers in several different lessons every week. “I really enjoy getting to know each rider’s unique goals and interests.” Lindsey appreciates


these relationships. “The Sunrise volunteers and staff are so patient and caring...it’s overall just a very happy place to be!” she concludes. Scarlett is just one of


years ago, we never thought we would be where we are today. It’s just been amaz- ing. Sunrise has provided a renewal of hope for all our family members. For us to see tangible skills progres- sion, to see Scarlett chal- lenged in new ways and succeed in completing things we never thought possible, gives the family new hope for her future which we didn’t have be- fore.” This has also inspired the family to continue to challenge Scarlett at home as well. “I have gone from saying to Scarlett ‘Let me help you with that’ to ‘You can do it - give it a try!’”,


d’Équipe of Young Rider Team Ontario/Quebec and both Junior teams for Canada. “It’s easy enough to say you want to go to the Olympics, but it’s nice to have an avenue to get that sort of team experience when you’re looking towards the senior team.” Boesener went on to be the


leading Junior Canadian in the following two competitions. She rode her 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Winniepuuh (Weltmeyer x Ludendorff), to a score of 65.588% for 10th in the Individ- ual Competition on Aug. 2, and earned a personal best score of 70.375% for fifth in the Freestyle


says Julie. It takes four people (3


volunteers and her instruc- tor) to enable Scarlett to ride. Her family really ap- preciates the dedication of everyone involved. “It’s truly amazing, and unbe- lievably humbling, that total strangers would give their time to one individual child - that all these people come together every week to make it happen!” Laura (at right in


photo), one of Scarlett‘s vol- unteer sidewalkers this past winter, felt she benefited too. “I looked forward to seeing Scarlett each week. She was always so cheerful


on Aug. 4. Leslie Steele, who was the


Chef d’Équipe for Young Rider Team Alberta/Quebec and the Junior individual, concluded, “I think overall the girls did very well and worked well together, and it ran very smoothly. We had some first-time riders and they made it into the ceremonies. They’re all happy, the families and kids have been great to work with, and it’s been fun.”


Top 10 Action from Canadian Eventers


Individual competitor, Tosca Holmes-Smith of Chase,


the 400+ children, youth and adults who benefit from Sunrise programs each year. Every week, over 100 rid- ers, with a wide range of special needs, visit the farm for their weekly therapeutic riding lesson. Lessons are taught by instructors certi- fied through the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Associ- ation (CanTRA), and tai- lored to meet each rider’s goals and abilities, with input from the centre’s con- sultant physiotherapy, occu- pational therapist and/or speech language patholo- gist.


Other community


members visit Sunrise weekly to participate in the Therapeutic Grooming pro- gram (an alternative to rid- ing) or the Life Skills Day Program for adults with dis- abilities. The latter enables each participant to work on


BC, once again found herself in the NAYC top 10 after tackling the Young Riders division with Ali Holmes-Smith’s Tom Riddle, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding sired by Towkay. The 19- year-old, who placed ninth at NAYC 2018 and earned individ- ual gold in 2017, climbed her way from 10th after the dressage phase on July 25 to fourth after double-clear cross-country and show jumping rounds over the days following, ending on her dressage score of 35.2 penalty points on July 28. “I was absolutely thrilled


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with how the weekend went,” said Holmes-Smith. “We started the show with a personal best dressage score – with much credit given to Danielle Hirkala, who’s really helped me to figure Tom out on the flat this year. He felt like his usual outstanding self on cross-country and we galloped double-clear around a difficult track. Show jumping has always been a struggle for us together, but Tom really stepped up to the plate and tried his heart out. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that helped me along the way: my coaches, Nick Holmes-Smith, Danielle, and Sandra Donnelly; my mum for everything she does; my amazing Chef d’Équipe, Maeve Drew; my groom, Naomi Willms; the BCYR program for everything they do for the sport in our province; Rebecca Farm for put- ting up with all us obnoxious, stressed-out teenagers; and, of course, Tom for teaching me so much over the past four years and


L to R: Olivia Stephenson, Joseph Carruthers, Olivia Blaber Photo Credit: SEL Photography


being such a steadfast team- mate.”


US Area III’s William Kid-


well and Tremolo finished on their dressage score of 28.0 penalties for the gold medal, fol- lowed by US Area I’s Katie Lichten and Sapphire Blue B tak- ing silver on 31.8 penalty points. Colby Green and Takine De La Barbais of US Area VIII brought home the bronze with 33.1 penalty points. Canadian team competition


returned to NAYC Eventing after taking a hiatus in 2018. Junior Team Ontario/British Columbia, comprised of Elise Hicks, 17, of Trenton, ON, Sierra Hincks, 16, of Roberts Creek, BC, and Olivia Terdik, 18, of Windham Centre, ON, also improved from an ini- tial 10th place standing after dressage to end in sixth on a final score of 152.4 penalties after the final show jumping phase.


Staking claim to gold was


US Area VIII on a team total of 90.6 penalties. US Area II fol- lowed in silver with 104.2 penalty points, while US Area IV claimed the bronze title on 109.2 penalties. Kendal Lehari, who was


the Team Ontario/British Colum- bia Chef d’Équipe alongside Maeve Drew, said. “The girls rode really well in the final phase. They all put in very smooth, rhythmical rounds, were very professional throughout the competition and represented Canada very well. They are great competitors and will be ones to watch in the future. I really en- joyed working with all of the girls and Maeve.” More information on


NAYC can be found at www.youngriders.org.


personal goals in a group setting, with a program centred around horse care, horticulture and a wide range of sea- sonal and social activities. In summer,


the centre is even busier, with over 40 children a week attending the popular (and fully inclusive) Camp Sunrise day camps. Although horse-based activ- ities usually top the list of campers’ favourite activities, archery, swimming, nature programs, theme days and visits to Sunrise’s accessible playground and low ropes course all usually run a close second. Scarlett attended Camp


Sunrise for the first time in 2018. At the end of her first week at Camp Sunrise, she opted to participate in the talent show, singing and dancing to a new song in front of everyone. “Ever since then, she has been wanting to perform at any opportunity, and has no fear of large crowds of people,” laughs Lindsey, who thinks the biggest change she has seen in Scarlett is her in- creased self-confidence. Sunrise was founded in


1982 with a mission to “em-


power those with special needs to reach their full po- tential through farm-based therapy, recreation, life skills, education and farm- related programs.” Thirty- seven years later we, at Sunrise, are still amazed by the power of the human-an- imal bond, as we watch that relationship benefit each unique individual in differ- ent ways. To learn more about


Sunrise’s history, programs and services, please visit www.sunrise-therapeutic.ca


Submitted by Alissa Gibson, Sunrise Therapeutic Riding & Learning Centre


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