Monday March 23, 2003

Michael Shondel - This is His Year

The Challenge of Dressage

Michael admits that dressage is an unusual sport for a young man. “There’s only two of us in Young Riders,” he smiles, but knows exactly why he’s attracted to it. “How hard it is. It’s the constant challenge. I’ve always ridden horses, so it’s kind of ‘in love with riding’ and working with Cesar, and just everything – competing, winning.”

Ultimately Michael has a multi-faceted plan for his future. “Olympics –
skies are the limits. Whatever I can do. I’m in the Marine Corps. I’m in the
officer candidate program while I’m in college. Hopefully, if everything
works out I can ride for the Marine Corps. That’s my next goal.” The Corps does not currently have an equestrian team, but that is not a deterrent to Michael. “They sponsor boxers and racecar drivers and other things and I’m hoping I can talk them into sponsoring me.”

Michael will graduate with a business degree and hopes to have a career as a professional rider. To continue his training in dressage, Michael transferred from Gainesville to Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, because the school is 30 minutes from Cesar’s barn in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. “And they allowed me to take this semester off and take classes down at Palm Beach Community College.” So while he’s earning blue ribbons, Michael is also earning 12 credits. He rents a room two miles from Cesar’s winter barn in Jupiter, Florida.