Sometimes we are called to act quickly to do a good deed and this is definitely one of those times!
I am asking all of my many European readers to help me to make a miracle come true for a wonderful young hopeful Para-Olympian.
As you will read, she is in desperate need of a horse to be able to compete in August in Norway.
Guys, we only have today to find a suitable horse for her and have its entry form filled out so she my compete.
PLEASE find it in your hearts to help Erin make her dream come true!

Here is the letter from my good friend, Mary Phelps.
RD

I am working on posting an article on Erin. She finished in first place on the last day of the Para competition, and competed in HK. Our para riders get very little support, and for the first time in the history of the WEG, they will be competing in our country. The British team has the support of the Lottery and Paul McCartney, and their fellow British HP riders who have donated former Olympic horses. We are got to put out an APB for a borrowed horse but in a perfect world, she should have her own. I am getting a shipping quote tomorrow from flyhfr.com, our sponsor for our Aachen trip. Her deadline is Tuesday, but miracles can happen. Please read. I will be posting this article tomorrow on Dressagedaily.Hi Mary, My name is Erin Alberda, I am a US Para Equestrian, and student of Jenny Nell & Roxanne Christensen.  We met at Lamplight Farms, where I was competing at the CPEDI3* & National Championships on my Swedish gelding “Delectari” (Dylan). After our strong finish at Nationals, I have been encouraged by the US Coaches to pursue competing at the Open European Para Dressage Championships, which will take place in Norway in August.  Their hope is that I can get some greater international experience, as well as some more exposure or “face time” with the judges, which may improve my chances of being competitive at WEG. I do not have the funding to ship Dylan all the way from Seattle (USEF has limited funding for this show), so I have been working on locating a horse in Europe to borrow & bring into Norway to compete on.  It feels like I have a million calls & emails out, but nothing has “popped” yet. Last week I unfortunately found out that any potential horse needs to be turned in on entries this coming Tuesday - so needless to say, I am just about out of time, and just about out of hope. I was wondering if you had any ideas in terms of people I might be able to contact. I am a Grade 3 Para rider.  The tests I ride are not complicated, the movements are comparable to US 1st level, but done in more of a 3rd level/FEI frame.  Para riders are able to compete on ponies in international competition, so that is an option (I am not very big!).  The competition is a CPEDI4*, so horses/ponies would need passports & be subject to a jog.   I would be traveling with Jenny & Marci, who groomed for me in Chicago, and for the US Paralympic team in Hong Kong.  We would of course pay any and all expenses, and be amazingly and incredibly grateful to the owner who would let a virtual stranger from another country show their horse. And of course, thank you, for your time and consideration, and for any ideas you might have to help!  Please feel free to contact me - (206) 396-0510, or Jenny with any questions - programdirector@littlebit.org, (425) 268-9611 All my best wishes, Erin Alberda 

Posted: Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Filed under: Uncategorized