A friend approached me during the
Youth World trail prelims to ask if I had heard about the incredible 224.5
score posted by 18 year old Eye L Be Good (a/k/a Stella) and her owner Cassidy
Miller of Carlsbad, California. I was
intrigued because the roan mare had been owned by the family of my principal at
Bradenton Academy, Dr. Susan Hedgecock of Florida. With over 1000 AQHA points to her credit, and
an ownership record reading like Who’s Who, (including my good friend TW
Grose), I smiled at how the mare scored higher than 115 other teams in the trail prelims, and missed making it back to the finals by a mere 2.5 points. Purchased sight unseen on a leap of faith for
her current owner, this story is about an extraordinary partnership.
At first glance, 19-year-old Cassidy Miller
is a beautiful California girl, and I knew she and I would be fast friends at
“hello”. Sparkling from head to toe in “bling”
this girl had it “goin’ on” and I couldn’t wait to learn where she had
purchased her fabulous accessories.
After a few minutes of friendly “girl talk”, I sat down with Cassidy and her equally beautiful
mother, Kellie, to learn about their story of perseverance, determination, love and HOPE.
Kellie Dunn was a mother full of
anticipation for the birth her first child, and had opted to forgo any
ultrasounds during her pregnancy as things were progressing normally, and she
had no desire to learn the sex of her child.
Her world came to a shocking standstill when Cassidy was born not
breathing, and her head filled with fluid.
Upon examination, doctors were uncertain if Cassidy was born with a
brain as it had been compressed into her sinus cavity. After installing a shunt to drain the fluid,
the brain began to expand; however she was left blind in one eye, and forced to
undergo numerous surgeries. One surgery
at age 6 left Cassidy paralyzed on one side, and unable to sit up. Additionally a tumor was removed from her
face due to displaced brain cells that had continued to develop.
With a determination to help
Cassidy overcome her monumental challenges, Kellie enrolled her daughter in a
therapeutic riding program in the first grade to achieve balance. The results were nothing short of
miraculous! Under the tutelage of Gay
Staten, the youngster flourished and was competing against regularly-abled
riders within only a few short years.
Although still faced with both physical challenges and learning
disabilities, Cassidy continues to persevere as an equestrian through sheer
determination and a mother’s love. Her
first partner along the journey was an American Quarter Horse named Dells
Policy. Cassidy points out with
enthusiasm that her love of the breed is based upon the fact that “they are not
crazy!”
The common factor that I hear
from my all of my friends with disabilities is that horses are NEVER judgmental. Cassidy said that she immediately felt at
home in the horse industry due to the “maturity” and compassion of her
peers. Cassidy shares that an important
secret to her success has been an unrelenting dedication to lessons. Her insight is truly inspirational. With
many challenges to overcome, Cassidy’s partial blindness alone can make
executing high level obstacles extremely difficult due to her lack of sight and
depth perception. When backing through
an “L” as an example, she has adapted a technique on her blind side where she
looks over her good side and completely turns her body to contemplate the
obstacle. Under the guidance of current
trainer, Liz Place, Cassidy and Stella find no challenge too great. This outstanding team came to the 2010 Youth
World Show nationally qualified in trail which was no easy feat!
As I have stated in previous
articles, my campaign for AQHYA President was HOPE (Helping Other People Excel)! I was extremely honored to have
Cassidy sign my banner of HOPE with her special message “You Can Do It” and take a picture with my horse “Hope” who has
been my inspiration to help make a difference.
Although she has made the monumental leap to compete in mainstream
competition, Cassidy, like me, would love to see AQHA offer Equestrian with
Disabilities classes at the World Show level.
Kellie adds that EWD riders offer a huge growth opportunity for our
industry, yet the challenge for many of the riders will be the monumental
expense. She and Cassidy would like to
see AQHA’s lease programs expanded so that more youth can afford to participate
in our sport at every level.
Cassidy’s former horse was
nominated for a Silver Spur award, but I have a feeling that her special
partner Stella is more than worthy of a similar nod! I’d love to hear your support for this great
team! Today, Cassidy maintains a
Facebook page where she hopes to make new friends and share inspiration for
others. I hope many of you will send her
a friend request and watch for her at upcoming events. The good news for her fellow youth exhibitors
is that this was Cassidy’s last year of eligibility at the Ford Youth
World. The bad news is – “Look out
amateurs – here she comes”!!!!!!!!
Halter photo © The American Quarter Horse Journal.
