Puerto Rico's Top Dressage Rider Helps NARHA's Horses for Heroes

Aug. 5, 2008 - PRLog -- Puerto Rico's Top Dressage Rider Solicits Help for NARHA Horses for Heroes
Organization Aids Soldiers Wounded in Iraqi and Afghanistan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NORTH SMITHFIELD, RI – July 30, 2008
FEI-level rider Luis Denizard traveled to the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in July 2007 and competed as Puerto Rico's sole dressage representative. It was his first international competition, and he found he had an amazing following of people ready to support him in any way they could.. Students, former employers, and fellow trainers rallied together to help raise the money needed to cover the high costs of travel.

This summer, he is hoping that same group will rally around him again, but this time it isn't his own dressage career he has in mind. Denizard is asking his peers, friends, and acquaintances to come together to support "NARHA Horses for Heroes," an organization that helps wounded veterans through equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT). Many of the program participants have lost limbs fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and riding horses helps their bodies learn to be mobile again. Working with the horses also helps with the depression that many of U.S. soldiers deal with after going through these traumatic experiences. NARHA Horses for Heroes is a program being developed by the NARHA, which was formed in 1969 as the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association.
Denizard says, "I believe in NARHA's Horses for Heroes because of the good that horses have in them for healing the mind and soul. That they help the soldiers improve motor skill functions is icing on the cake. These soldiers have risked their lives for our country and our morals. Many have been severely injured and will have lifelong disabilities. Any and all ways we can give back to support them is very important."

"Horses have had such a profound impact on my life, and they saved me from many of the pitfalls of growing up in an inner-city environment," says Denizard. "I firmly believe in horses' ability to change people's lives in a positive way." When he found out about Horses for Heroes, he was drawn to the cause. As a rider for Puerto Rico and a U.S. citizen, he is appreciative of the sacrifices that others have made to provide him opportunities for growth and success. Remaining grateful, he has tried to be alert to opportunities to give back to others.

Denizard started riding Paige Finnegan's Karola 1 in January, with aspirations of going to Beijing to compete in the Olympic Games. He knew that it would be a difficult task to deliver an Olympic-caliber performance in such a short span of time. Denizard put in his best effort, but ultimately did not meet the requirements to achieve his certificate of capability with the mare, with whom he had only been riding for seven months. His sponsors have stood by him, realizing that success doesn't just mean winning competitions.

Renee Isler of Westford, MA sponsors Denizard, providing him with the funds to train and compete during the winter and spring in preparation for the Games. Isler says, " Lou is a hard worker, and what I want our Young Riders to see is that it's this determination and perseverance that's important, not just the ribbons and accolades." Isler is a longtime supporter of the U.S. Young Riders in dressage. Isler chooses riders to sponsor based largely on their work ethic and talent. She donated funds that enabled Courtney King-Dye (who, incidentally, was a student of Denizard's while she was a child) to travel to the 2008 World Cup Finals in Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, in March 2008. Isler again sponsored King-Dye when she went to the Olympic selection trials in June. Of Denizard, King-Dye says, "Lou was my first real trainer, and I am so thankful for that because he gave me such great training basics. He also exemplified the integrity and ethics that all horse people should have. I have so many memories of these sudden epiphanies in my lessons with him that were really the foundation of training a horse but were completely magical to me in the moment. I feel extremely lucky to have had my start with such a wonderful person and trainer."

Isler has also been a premier sponsor at major east coast shows and the annual Wellington Junior/Young Rider Clinic organized by Dr. Cetty Weiss in Florida and the Palm Beach Derby. She has worked with the Dressage Foundation for two years and established the "Renee Isler Dressage Support Fund," which provides grants for Young Riders accepted to the USDF FEI JR/YR Clinics.

Isler explains that she appreciates a solid work ethic. She grew up wanting to ride but was not able to be around horses because her family did not have the financial means to provide her lessons. Because of her background, establishing a fund that enables deserving riders to continue their education is very important to her. Denizard is also a self-made horseman who cleaned stalls and swept aisles for years for the privilege of riding and being around horses. He says he was told to "pick up a broom" when he first started hanging around a stable as a teen, and he hasn't put the broom back down since then.
Because of how strongly he believes in giving back, Denizard is making a plea to his fellow riders, trainers, and friends, asking them to donate their time and talents to Horses for Heroes. He is donating a week of training at his facility to be auctioned off at the Northeast Regional Adult Amateur Dressage Championships in October during the Silent Auction. This event will take place October 18 & 19, 2008 at Mystic Valley Hunt Club. He has commitments from a number of top trainers so far, and anticipates an outpouring of support from his colleagues.

About Luis Denizard
Denizard owns and operates Delante Equestrian Center in North Smithfield, Rhode Island and is a key competitor on Puerto Rico's equestrian team. He trains horses and riders in dressage and combined training and regularly competes throughout the East Coast. In 2006, Denizard was the USDF Region 8 Intermediare I champion on Lee & Donna Dunbar's Nalando, a dutch warmblood gelding. In 2007, he competed for Puerto Rico on the Dunbars' Nalando at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In addition to teaching and training, Denizard is a regular clinician on the East Coast and Puerto Rico and is a USDF "L" judge. Complete competitive information can be found at www.delantedressage.com

About NARHA Horses for Heroes
NARHA Horses for Heroes is a developing program of  NARHA (formed in 1969 as the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) and provides Equine Assisted Activities and therapies (EAAT) for returning military personnel and veterans across the United States. For individuals with special needs, EAAT have proven  beneficial to the improvement of muscle tone, balance, posture, coordination, and motor development as well as emotional well being. NARHA Horses for Heroes was started in April 2007 and continues to work directly with the Department of Veterans Affairs.  To learn more about NARHA Horses for Heroes, you can visit their web site at http://www.narha.org/NARHAHorsesforHeroes.asp

About the NRADC
The Northeast Regional Adult Amateur Dressage Championships is a brand-new show specifically for the adult amateur dressage rider. This event will be held October 18 & 19, 2008 at the Mystic Valley Hunt Club in Gales Ferry, CT. The Silent Auction will be held in conjunction with the show. For more information on NRADC, visit http://www.mysticvalleyhuntclub.com/NRADC/nradc.htm

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Delante Equestrian Center is a full-service equine training facility located in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. Luis Denizard, member of the Puerto Rico Equestrian Federation and its leading dressage rider, is the owner-proprietor of DEC.