Articles: Horse News
Ponessa Produces Solid Test at 2012 Paralympic Games, U.S. Stands Seventh
Donna Ponessa and Western Rose
(Shannon Brinkman)
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NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2012
By Helen Murray
Greenwich, UK - Donna Ponessa (West Windsor, NY) had a long time to wait
before she was able to make her debut at the 2012 Paralympic Games. But she
made it worth the wait as she piloted Wes Dunham's Western Rose to a score
of 70.235% in front of the Ground Jury of Kjell Myhre, Sarah Rodger, Gudrun
Hofinga, Freddy Leyman and Anne Prain.
Riding in Grade 1a competition, Ponessa produced a steady, rhythmic test
with the 9-year-old Oldenburg mare to earn fifth place. Western Rose is well known for
her free walk and did not disappoint today producing high marks for the
movement. Ponessa was also proud of her improved serpentine but knows what
she will be working on in the coming days.
"Our free walks are our favorite part of the tests," said Ponessa. "I feel
finally that she was listening and we got the serpentine down. I still feel
I need to get more forward; more with her on our centerlines. If she doesn't
have enough forward there is too much wiggle. I was so pleased when I hit A
and I looked and I saw the bend of her neck and I could feel her body
following."
Ponessa, a former wheelchair tennis player, was the sole U.S. representative
on Friday and did her best to use the extra day to settle in to the
competition.
"Having to wait yesterday allowed me to think of this more as home. I had a
little bit of an advantage that I could just be a spectator yesterday, with
that advantage to settle in and convince myself it was just another show,"
said Ponessa. "I have to admit today the wait was a little much; then I
started to feel the pressure. I was trying to find busy things to do yet I
didn't really have a lot of concentration because I was ready to do it."
Friday saw three Grades of competition with British riders again topping the
Grade IV and 1a tests. Sophie Wells and Pinocchio were the best of Grade IV
competition with 75.906% and Sophie Christiansen scored 83.765% to top Grade
1a competition by nearly ten points. Germany's Hannelore Brenner was able to
make sure that the home team did not get a clean sweep of Team Test
competition topping Grade III with Women of the World on a score of 75.741%.
At the half-way point of the Team Competition the U.S. lies seventh on a
score of 209.694.Team medals will be determined at the end of the Individual
Test held in each grade. U.S. riders Dale Dedrick and Rebecca Hart will
perform their Individual Tests in Grade II Saturday morning and Jonathan
Wentz will ride in afternoon Grade 1b competition. Ponessa performs her
Individual Test Sunday.
Great Britain leads the team standings following the Team Test with a score
of 234.353.
Individual medals will also be up for grabs for the top finishers in the
Individual Tests in their respective grade.
ENDS
For Results and Orders of Go visit;
http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/equestrian/schedule-and-results/
Follow the 2012 U.S. Para-Equestrian Team here.
The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation is to provide
leadership
for equestrian sport in the United States of America by promoting the
pursuit
of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a
foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare
of its human and equine athletes
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