After Overcoming Brutal Injury, Terrorism Survivor Equestrian Beatrice de Lavalette Takes Center Stage in 2024 Para Dressage

It has been a busy environment in the US equestrian industry with the new season’s dawn. Winter Festival, Dressage Global, and more have the spectators on their toes. However, the excitement isn’t all for the enthusiasts. With the US announcing its roster for the latter, Beatrice de Lavalette alongside the team of para-equestrian icons, is a spectacle in the waiting.

The AGDF is one of the largest Dressage circuits around the globe. Following up with the stance, equestrian talents from across the world will be making their presence for a celebration of the discipline. With the US para-dressage roster announcement, the competing athletes’ stories build exactly on that.

Terrorism survivor among celebrated names for US para-dressage

The US equestrian took to Instagram a day before the Dressage Festival to announce the team for the contest. “It’s time for the first CPEDI of 2024!” the post caption read, alongside a collage of the star-studded roster. Olympic athlete, Beatrice de Lavalette alongside equine Sixth Sense makes the first on the list going by alphabetical order.

The equestrian faced the wrath of terrorism back in 2016 when she was caught in a su*cide bom*ing operation. The incident left the then 17-year-old with the loss of 2 legs and paralysis below the hips. However, when the situation seemed dire, Beatrice found her will for life in a horse. A fight to live, and a trip to the Paralympics later, the equestrian today finds herself well and successful alongside names of similar resilience. Rebecca Hart, Fiona Howard, and Cynthia Screnci make the complete roster for the next three days. While each had a different story, they all share the path of fighting odds and making it through.

The stories of the equestrian icons

Rebecca Hart, a veteran of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, was affected by FSP as a child. The condition posed a difficulty for the equestrian to gain upper body strength. But once she started horseback riding at age 10, she knew there was no looking back. Today, she stands as a 3-time Paralympian.

For Fiona Howard, the case was similar when she experienced the symptoms of dystonia, a neuromuscular disease aged 11. The condition made it difficult for the equestrian to walk or make movements. But having loved horses from a very young age, Howard found her legs in her equines. Today as a 3-time member of the national team, the 25-year-old aims to live life to the fullest.

Also Read: As Paris Olympics 2024 Nears, Reflect Back at Para Dressage 2023’s Victorious Athletes

The case was a little different for Cynthia Screnci who suffered dire consequences due to an accident in 2015. The equestrian fell off her equine’s back during a session that resulted in a broken ankle, bone infection, and an eventual disability. The situation forced her from jumping to dressage and the equestrian fell in love with the latter. Looking the other way during life’s unfathomable situations lent answers to these athletes and the many who look up.

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