An Equestrian Inspiration: Legally Blind Exhibitor Unanimous in Novice Amateur Trail at 2013 Palomino World Show

The next time you start to grumble about how long and complicated a trail pattern is, or how you can never manage to find your way through a course without getting lost, imagine what it would be like to ride while blindfolded. Although novice amateur exhibitor Diane Stenborg can see shades of color and high levels of contrast, it’s a pretty good analogy for describing what it’s like to take a ride in her boots.

Stenborg is legally blind. She’s never driven a car. She has some difficulty signing her own name, and yet this inspirational woman was recently named the unanimous World Champion in Novice Amateur Trail at the 2013 Palomino World Show.

That’s not the only accomplishment Stenborg and Peponitas Chic Olena, aka “Chick,” received at the show. Stenborg rode the mare to a fourth place finish in Amateur Trail. Her trainer, Larry Newsome, received a fourth place finish in Senior Trail.

Stenborg has owned Chick since she was just eight months old. The mare is now 14 years old. This is the first World Championship title for both.

“She was told in the past that this horse was never going to be an upper level horse,” Newsome says. “So, she bought a better caliber horse. When that horse got injured, she was left with the ‘beat seat’ horse. We worked very hard to get both to this level of competition. We’ve been together for four years now.”

Trying to instruct an exhibitor on how to approach a complicated course can be a daunting task. However, Newsome and Stenborg have developed a step-by-step process that breaks the pattern down into manageable pieces.

“We spend a lot of time verbally discussing the pattern,” he says. “We try to walk the course and make a plan of attack. We travel with white cones and hope that show management is understanding of the issue and works with us to use the cones and striped logs so she can find a path.”

“The advice I gave her [at this show] was to ride the course as we planned out. Her horse knows its job, but isn’t always the easiest to ride. We talked about how she needed to help the horse as much as she could so that the natural talent the mare has could help her. In this pattern there was a right lead lope into a chute and a L back through that finished with a walk-out over a bridge. That’s alot to accomplish for a blind person!”

Image courtesy of Jeff Kirkbride Photography.

Stenborg has always been a lover of horses. She owned a horse as a teenager and over the past few years has become more interested in competition.

“I originally started out with cutting, and then I decided that really wasn’t for me,” Stenborg says. “I found another trainer, started doing trail, and fell in love with it.”

“Trail is one of the best events for me to do, because I’m out there by myself and I don’t have a lot of people to run into. [Some of the hard parts are] the speed coming up on some of the obstacles, how fast you have to change gait, and doing the back through, because I have to know how many steps to make before the turn. It’s really helpful for me to be able to walk the course, because I get a better idea of where I need to be. It’s challenging, but I really, really enjoy it.”

Stenborg loves competing in trail, but her trusty steed was never meant to be a trail star. Chick is actually cutting-bred, a granddaughter of Smart Chic Olena. After discovering the mare had no interest in cows, the search began to try and find another event that would suit the pair’s strengths. Currently, they primarily compete in trail and plan to work more on incorporating horsemanship into their repertoire. Ranch horse pleasure is a new event for the duo, and they plan to tackle showmanship in the not-so-distant future.

The cause of Stenborg’s visual impairment is a genetic disorder know as GCAP gene deficiency. Her father has the hereditary gene as well as her brother and sister. Her daughter has the gene, but her son does not. Stenborg explains that there is a 50/50 chance of passing the gene along to offspring.

“For many years, I was told that it was macular degeneration,” she says. “Regular eye doctors didn’t really know what it was. We went to Columbia in New York, had genetic testing done there, and we found out I had the gene.”

“I’m pretty mobile, and I’m able to get around. I do have some issues with light changes, like in a really bright or dark arena. I have a harder time seeing differences with color. It can be a difficult thing if the ground is a sandy color and the rails don’t have any markings on them. I use those as a guide. We had a lot [at the World Show], which was great. There was one pole that was white and yellow, and to me, I couldn’t really tell.”

 

Caption: Image courtesy of Larry Newsome.

Competing in trail can definitely be a challenge, for both the sighted and visually impaired. But Stenborg asks for no favors or special treatment. The only hopeful alteration to the course is the replacement of white cones where typical orange cones stand to mark the separation of obstacles.

“The association was great as far as letting me bring in my own white cones,” she says. “Most organizations have orange cones. Especially if the ground is a darker color, they blend in. There’s just not enough contrast. It was really great that the association accommodated me and let me use my white cones. Most places do, but this was a World Show, so I wasn’t sure. I really appreciate them working with me.”

“I do have to give some credit to my horse. She does help me out a lot. It does take a special horse. My first go in the Amateur was a bit wobbly, because of steering and learning where I was at. In the novice class, she was phenomenal. She gave me a very clean, nice run. I made a small mistake, but it wasn’t enough to cause me any issue.”

In addition to Chick, Stenborg also has a Quarter Horse that is currently recovering from surgery. She says both of the horses are very kind, patient, and willing to help her out when needed. Chick is definitely a favorite among Stenborg’s grandchildren.

“My 4-year-old granddaughter shows her a little,” she says. “My little 2-year-old grandson gets up on her and he doesn’t want to get off. She’s so calm and easygoing. She’s been giving me 100%, and we’ve been working our tails off for the last two months. I’ve been riding every day, and she hasn’t been complaining much.”

“She’s just been going out and doing her job, and that’s a great horse.”

We would like to thank Larry Newsome, Diane Stenborg, and Chick for sharing their inspirational story with us. We wish them the very best in their upcoming competitions.