Dressage Star Jennifer Schrader
Washington's Olympic Contender
by Karen Petty

I met Jennifer Schrader in 1999 at a clinic where she was riding Charlene Summers' stallion, Wishes and Dreams. It was the first time I'd seen her ride and I was impressed. I couldn't take my eyes off of the beautiful bay stallion and the long legged, perfectly coiffed, elegant rider floating through extended trot and half pass. Her aids were imperceptible. Her seat moved as if part of the saddle and her hands were low and quiet. Her countenance suggested she could have just as easily been sitting and reading a book instead of riding a 1,200 pound Warmblood stallion. This was extraordinary. Over the next several years, I would get to know this exceptional woman as a rider, trainer, coach, and friend.

Like many of us, Jennifer grew up loving horses. She remembers kissing the soft muzzle of a foal, when she was only five years old. When she was six, her parents announced that they had a surprise for her in the pasture. She ran to meet Bernie, a half-Arabian gelding who would be her companion for the next seven years. The pair competed in 4-H shows under the instruction of Terrie Hook.

"Terrie was a great trainer," says Jennifer of the instructor who taught her the foundation of riding. Although fantastic schooling at home, Bernie tended to buck or go lame at shows. "We always got white ribbons at shows," says Jennifer. (In 4-H white ribbons are handed out to child/horse combinations that need serious improvement.) Rather than being discouraged, the white ribbons pushed Jennifer to work harder-an attribute that continues to distinguish her from others; an attribute that will prove necessary for the arduous journey to the Olympics.

When Jennifer was 12, her parents bought her an Anglo-Arab mare named Miss Scarlett. Jennifer decided to focus on dressage and joined Pony Club where she competed very successfully. By the time Jennifer was 17, Scarlett was doing fourth level dressage.

Jennifer began working at Summervale Farm in 1997 where she worked closely with Michael Etherly, head trainer, and Lisa Dussome, assistant trainer, to prepare sale horses. Shortly thereafter, Michael left the farm and Lisa took over as head trainer with Jennifer as her assistant. At the same time, Jennifer began training with and working for Gwen Blake, an international level competitor and silver medalist at the Pan American Games. Gwen was instrumental in building Jennifer's dressage foundation and progression up the levels, providing the opportunity to ride her upper level horses. Among these was "Ainsley's Goodfellow," a lovely Dutch gelding who Jennifer competed on towards the North American Young Rider Championships in Parker, Colorado in 2000. The pair was ranked number one in the country with an average of 70% entering the competition and finished eighth individually.

For the next three years, Jennifer shuttled daily between Donida and Summervale farms, a three hour round trip, to ride, groom, and muck. Her days were long and filled with hard work, but she was driven by a desire to learn and ride the best horses possible.

Charlene Summers provided the support, vision, and outstanding horses to take Jennifer to the next level. Charlene had the expertise to breed outstanding Warmblood sporthorses from her Weltmeyer stallion, Wishes and Dreams and her foundation mares, H. Marado and Phirst Solo.

In 1999 Summervale Farm's stallion, Wishes and Dreams, was sold to a North West woman who continued to breed and promote him for the next four years. Lisa Dussome went with him to his new home and successfully competed at many North West shows. Jennifer was poised to step into the head trainer role despite her young age. Charlene always, "had faith that Jennifer has the natural talent, ability, and drive to some day take her to the top, and (she) wanted her riding (her) best horses." Jennifer began riding Charlene's Grand Prix mare, Phirst Solo, as well as other quality horses. Soon she began riding a beautiful bay colt named H.S. Wistar. This colt would change her life.

H.S. Wistar, at an early age, displayed the talent and attitude to take Jennifer to the highest levels of dressage. According to Jennifer, "He is as nice as they come. He's honest and tries 110%. He is a competitor; he goes in and shows off. This horse has charisma, personality and a great work ethic." They have a great partnership and deep bond that transcends technique. It's clear that he's more than just her competition horse - he's her true partner.

With the horse, the talent, the heart and the moral support to push for the Olympic dream, what else could Jennifer possibly need? Money-lots of it! It is extraordinarily expensive (approximately $100,000/year) to sustain and campaign a high performance pair for four years. Not only must they travel to California, the East Coast, and Europe to compete, they also need to pay for training while they are not earning income, a coach to go to the shows, a healthy body, and healthy horses.

Jennifer's friends and supporters formed a team and created a four-year plan to help her achieve her goals. We contacted everyone we knew to garner their thoughts and support. We solicited funds from friends, family, the Hungarian Horse Society, and others to help get her to the California CDI's. Charlene Summers, long time mentor and business partner, was instrumental in garnering the largest contributions. The first fund drive generated roughly $5,000 just days before Jennifer was to depart for San Diego. This was enough to get her to California where she could begin training with Jurgen Hoffman of German Dressage, an international level coach, with the goal of making the USEF long list for Gladstone.

Jennifer left Washington with high hopes, a modified goose neck trailer, H.S. Wistar, Phirst Solo, her dog, her best friend, Johnna, and well wishes from supporters. She was beginning the first leg of her four year journey to the Olympics. What began as a four week stay turned into several months.

Jennifer settled in quickly and began a strict riding and training routine. She was struck by how disciplined the riding culture was at German Dressage, but thrived in the environment. It forced her to become a better rider and competitor. She also quickly gained friends and supporters at her new farm. Susan and Gaye Walker wrote saying, "Jen has been down at our facility . . . for about four months now, and she has been doing great. I admire her, because she is SO dedicated. The whole time she has been down here, she has been living in her converted-living quarters trailer, in something the size of her bathroom at home. . . . She is constantly pushing herself, and the results she is getting are purely because of the work she puts in, and she deserves it all. "

Gaye Walker shared that they "... all (Jurgen and Jennifer Hoffmann, Susan and Gaye, and all of my boarders) have grown VERY fond of Jennifer, and we hope she'll consider us her second home..."

The hard work paid off...She was competing against the big dogs-Guenter, Steffan, Debbie, Leslie Morse, Leslie Reid, Charlotte Brehdal Baker in the large venues-The LA Equestrian Center, Del Mar, DG Bar and Flintridge and coming out in the top four of her class every time. In Los Angeles, her partnership with Wistar was so evident that Klaus Balkenhol spontaneously began coaching her from the rail and invited her to his training session, which is generally reserved for long listed riders. He spoke with enthusiasm about her and her talented mount, H.S. Wistar. Needless to say, this was a great boost to Jenn as she entered her first class! She was confident, skilled, and ready to give it her best.

With all of her wins under her belt, Jennifer was mentally ready for Gladstone, but financially barren. She needed to raise $30,000 within two weeks, to fly both horses to New Jersey. All of the talent and good wishes in the world wasn't going to get her there without help. Sallie Stewart and Donna Pederson stepped in to do the impossible-raise the money within 11 days. They put plans in motion for a benefit dinner and auction, getting the word out within days. On June 4th, over 100 supporters gathered at Emerald Downs to help Jennifer reach Gladstone. Through a combination of hard work, support, caring, and love, we netted $24,695. It was successful beyond our dreams!

As I write this, Jennifer is in Gladstone with Charlene, her fiance, Alex-Oh...did I mention she got engaged during all of this?-and her horses. I don't know how she'll do, but I know she'll give it her all and do her best. It's just who she is.

Jennifer has provided a way for all of us to be a part of the Olympic Dream. She's been thankful to everyone for their support, but we, her students, friends, family and sponsors are the ones who are grateful to be a part of her dream. It's rare that one gets to be so close to the Olympic Dream, and she has graciously welcomed us on this journey. She's not some distant celebrity; she's here in the Pacific North West. She is humble, confident, kind, and forthright. She is the type of person you hope gets the best in life. She's also the type of person who brings out the best in people. I hope you all have the opportunity to be part of her Olympic Dream. It's going to be a GREAT ride!

Find out how you can Support our Jennifer or visit her blog for information about Sponsorships and Gifts.

"Our majestic Wistar" donated kindly by Diana O'Diear

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