Calendar of Events

Hope Cooper and her groom, Josie Zeeb,  traveled to  Verden, Germany this summer with O Romeo S (Ollie) to compete in the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses. They scored 83.40% on the first day, putting them in 12th place out of 40 entrants and qualified them for Saturday’s large final—a rare accomplishment for a U.S. pair at the world young horse championships. At the finals they finished 12th on a score of 82.40%.  Josie and Hope will join us to share the prep and management needed to bringing this young horse overseas to such success.  A specific focus will be on Hope’s training philosophy and Josie’s handling techniques on the ground.  

Josie's love for horses became clear at an early age and that drove her to join 4H where she expanded her knowledge and made many great friends. Her interest in horses brought her to Bear Spot Farm where she is passionate about her work caring for the horses and hopes to gain more knowledge and experience. “I've loved horses all my life and being at Bear Spot has really opened my eyes to how unique every horse is and how it takes a little listening to really understand these amazing animals”. When not at Bear spot she enjoys spending her time hanging out with her cat Beckett, going on bike rides and working on projects for the Guatemala aid fund where she is the Vice President.

The NEDA Know How webinar series runs every Thursday evening from 7:30pm-8:30pm in January, February, and March. NEDA members can access previously recorded sessions under the "multimedia" dropdown in their member portal.

Dressage horses work hard, and as riders, you are often the first to notice when something just doesn’t feel quite right—maybe a stiffness, unevenness, or a change in attitude. This is the time we should take action to support our horses. In this talk, Dr. Fred Nostrant will explain how acupuncture and chiropractic therapies can help support comfort, soundness, and ease of movement in the dressage horse.

Using clear, real-world examples, Dr. Nostrant will break down how these therapies work, when they’re most useful, and how they fit alongside regular veterinary care, training, and farriery. The focus will be on helping riders recognize subtle signs of discomfort and understand how addressing small issues early can help keep horses feeling good and enjoying their work.

This session is designed to give riders a better understanding of what these therapies can (and can’t) do, and how they can be thoughtfully incorporated into a horse’s regular care to help keep them comfortable, happy, and performing at their best.

This session is sponsored by LandVest!

Rebecca Hart got involved with the Paralympic movement in 1998 at a regional competition in Atlanta, Ga. It was at that competition that Hart decided she wanted to aim for international competition. Hart purchased her first horse and began to train for national and international competition. Over the years, Hart has represented the U.S. at several international events, including five consecutive Paralympic Games. Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games led to her best team finish yet, as a member of the bronze medal-winning U.S. team aboard El Corona Texel.

Following a series of standout accomplishments with Schroeter's Romani, Hart retired the Danish Warmblood mare and teamed up with El Corona Texel in September 2017. They quickly garnered 11 Grade III first-place finishes out of 13 opportunities, which helped them earn a spot on the U.S. Para Dressage Team presented by Deloitte for the WEG Tryon 2018.

Hart and El Corona Texel were selected to represent the Adequan® U.S. Para Dressage Team at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival 1 CPEDI3* in Wellington, Fla., in January of 2020. The duo was also named to represent the team at the Tryon CPEDI3* hosted in Tryon, N.C. in October 2020, where they also were crowned the national champions of the 2020 Adequan/USEF Para Dressage National Championship.

In 2021, Hart and Fortune 500 earned a Perrigo CPEDI3* team win and finished first in the Grade III Individual Test at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival 3. Hart partnered with El Corona Texel to collect another Perrigo CPEDI3* team win at the AGDF 9. At the Perrigo Tryon Summer Dressage CPEDI3*, Hart won the team competition and each of the Grade III classes, riding El Corona Texel and Fortune 500.

In 2022, Hart was a member of the Adequan U.S. Para Dressage Team that traveled to Herning, Denmark for the 2022 FEI Para Dressage World Championships where she helped the team earn bronze with El Corona Texel. The duo also secured an individual bronze in Herning, marking their third fourth championship medal together. 

In 2024, Hart debuted a new horse in her quest to make her fifth straight Paralympic Games, this time aboard Floratina. The pair have proved to be one of the top combinations in Grade III competition, earning tremendous scores since the start of their partnership in 2023. Hart and Floratina represented the U.S. Paralympic Equestrian Team at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, where they brought home an impressive and historic medal haul. They secured individual gold in the Grade III Individual Test and Grade III Individual Freestyle, as well as gold in the team event.

Rebecca is the daughter of Sue Dobson and Terry Hart. She has one sister, Katie, and one brother, Jordan. In her free time, Hart enjoys kayaking, sailing, camping and rock climbing, and giving back to the Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Foundation by bringing awareness about HSP and working with the children dealing with HSP.

The NEDA Know How webinar series runs every Thursday evening from 7:30pm-8:30pm in January, February, and March. NEDA members can access previously recorded sessions under the "multimedia" dropdown in their member portal.

Session facilitated by NEDA's Director of Competitions, Kari Cincotta.

Sue McKeown has been involved with Dressage for over forty years, first as a competitor, and then as a Competition Secretary and Manager.  Sue earned her Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals on her two Swedish Warmbloods, and truly enjoyed all aspects of training and showing as an Adult Amateur.  Sue has been a Secretary and/or Manager for over a hundred shows in the New England area, including as Manager of the 2019 Region 8 Championships, Secretary for the 2022 Region 8 Championships, and the Assistant Show Secretary for the US Dressage Finals for the past several years. She is currently serving her third 3-year term as the USDF Technical Council At Large Director.

The NEDA Know How webinar series runs every Thursday evening from 7:30pm-8:30pm in January, February, and March. NEDA members can access previously recorded sessions under the "multimedia" dropdown in their member portal.

This session is sponsored by LandVest:

Knowledge. Service. Results. 

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