DressageDaily: Successful Equitation Finals at the 2004 MSEDA Championship & Breeders Classic : Working to Achieve her Dream

Saturday September 18, 2004

Successful Equitation Finals at the 2004 MSEDA Championship & Breeders Classic

Working to Achieve her Dream

Ana DiGeronimo, a working student of Lendon Gray, took the reserve championship home riding her 12-year-old KWPN gelding Cadanz, by Cabochon out of Raminova. She qualified last summer on Ballywhim Arden Mor, Gray’s Connemara stallion, but his usual rider Jessica Rizzi returned from training in Germany and is now competing him again. DiGeronimo rode the stallion last year in the championships to a third place finish.

“I have been working a lot on my lower leg,” she said, explaining her preparation for this year’s finals. “I am only 5’2” tall so I want to appear taller on the horse. I get tense and I have to learn to stay relaxed. To have my leg stay still and effective and have my upper body correct is tough for me, especially with my upper body so close to my legs!”

DiGeronimo’s mother, Debbie D’Orazio, said that her daughter works hard and makes a lot of sacrifices for her riding. “She has spent the last two summers at Lendon’s sweating for twelve hours a day when her friends were out swimming,” she said. “She trains hard all winter too, going out to the barn after school, and has dedicated her whole life to this.”

D’Orazio works four jobs to help support her daughter’s riding, and hopes that Ana can find some sponsorship eventually. “She has been riding since age three and has tried different things like dancing, modeling and gymnastics, but she loves to ride. I’m so glad she did well this weekend– she deserves it and I’m so proud of her"