The Board of Trustees took June and July off because many of the Trustees were organizing and/or competing in events but August found them back at work and celebrating the recent clinic in New Jersey. Vice President Diane will tell you all about it. Several other clinics are in the planning stage with Maine, Arizona, Florida, and California as possible locations.

The clinics introduce persons with disabilities to driving as well as provide training opportunities for drivers who would love to be selected for Team USA. That selection process is complicated; Hardy Zantke’s article in this issue of Paragraphs explains it for us, for which we are grateful.

We have often commented on our inability to send our own horses and equipment to the European venues of biannual international competition due to the exorbitant expense involved. While we continue to work to raise money to support the Team, we expect to borrow horses and equipment and compete at a slight disadvantage because of that necessity. We also expect to continue to support the international competition. Team USA will be at Sandringham, England in 2014 wearing red, white, and blue, sipping tea, and practicing their curtsies, just in case the Queen stops by… —Bev White

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Spring is technically almost over although the weather for some of us certainly doesn’t indicate
that it is. On the west coast it is show season with Vineyard Classic in May, Summer Festival
in June, the CDE at Inavale in July, Equestrian Institute in August, and ending with Shady Oaks
in October.

While we are fitting our horses, learning our patterns, polishing our gear and hauling up and
down the coast, we are planning clinics for drivers with disabilities. And we are enjoying the
participation of our drivers in these events. There were five of us at Vineyard; entries are still
coming in at Inavale and there are already three drivers entered. The judges there will critique
the drivers with disabilities and help them plan their training with special emphasis on those
aspects which would enhance their chances of being selected to represent USDFD at next
year’s international competition…

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THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER

In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, winter is almost over, the roses have had their President’s Day pruning, pansies have been planted to promise spring, and daffodils are almost ready to bloom.

And at USDFD in California our first clinic is ready to welcome nine disabled drivers (and some spectators and volunteers) to train under Hardy Zantke and be classified by Joann Benjamin, all under the watchful eye of our organizer and Vice-president Diane Kastama…

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THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER

It is Fall; the leaves are cascading across the pasture, landing on stacks of pumpkins, overseen by the scarecrow that has guarded the garden all summer. This should be a time to curl up by the fire with a stack of good books but that is not the case at USDFD….

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THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER

This is an exciting time to be associated with the United States Driving for the Disabled, Inc. Members of the Board of Trustees are busy making things happen, the very things that define USDFD and provide service to the driving community. Diane Kastama, Vice-President and Chair of the Team USA committee, is organizing, mentoring, and working to raise money for the team’s participation in the Para Equestrian World Championships in Breda, The Netherlands this year. Board members Joy Adamski and Susan Guinan have refined the Sybil Dukehart scholarship program, have received applications from drivers and organizers, and will present to the Board at the June meeting our first granted scholarships.

USDFD is celebrating the addition of two new drivers, Paul Roberti and Stephanie Putnam. Both are competing in Combined Driving Events with adaptive equipment that is catalogued on our web page. Both dream of someday joining Team USA. I pulled up beside Stephanie as she was learning the cones course at the Vineyard Classic CDE in Woodland, CA. When I asked her if she was loving it, she smiled her radiant smile and proclaimed, “I am addicted”…

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Hoofbeats and Heartbeats USDFD Jan/Feb 2012

The USDFD is happy to reinstate its Hoofbeats & Heartbeats Newsletter. With all the exciting events
in 2011 and the growing number of new drivers, our Board of Trustees decided that an organizational
facelift was just what we needed to kick off 2012, starting with our Newsletter. This next year’s going to bring some changes to our wonderful organization. With a heavy dose of renewed excitement from our
Board we’re bringing the USDFD into the 21st century! It is our greatest desire that this Newsletter will help to connect our small community by helping new drivers to become acquainted, sharing
information, keeping everyone apprised of upcoming events, and inspiring everyone to stay involved as
we come into yet again another Para-World Championship year

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