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Potomac Valley Dressage Association
Ride for Life
Equestrian Benefit Event
for
Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Center
June 27-28, 2009
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Ride for Life is a licensed dressage show sponsored by The Potomac Valley Dressage Association. This unique event has a very special purpose -- to fund breast cancer research at the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Center. Rider raised donations, 100% of the admissions donations, the proceeds from a Silent Auction, Gala dinner and a percentage of logo merchandise sales all benefit the cause. An annual equestrian tradition, the PVDA Ride for Life attracts top riders from the U.S. and abroad, including Olympians, to compete for prizes and championship titles. About 200 horses are shown in various competitive levels during the 2-day show. The Saturday evening Dancing Horse Challenge with its special musical freestyles exquisitely performed by top FEI Dressage riders is rapidly becoming The Show to See in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Social events, unique shopping in 45 boutiques and a Silent Auction round out this family oriented and visitor-friendly show.
More information is available at the PVDA Ride for Life website.
2009 Ride for Life
I am again overwhelmed by generosity of my friends and family in supporting this wonderful event! Over $1,000 was raised in my name - all of which goes directly to supporting the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center. I decided not to compete Katchi at the show this year as I have been focusing on our eventing competitions and wanted the opportunity to support the event as a volunteer. After 10 hours of working as a ring steward on Saturday, I think it might be less stressful to just compete next year! I will post the event's total contribution numbers as soon as they finish counting all the checks!
A few of the Cedarville gang - Rebecca, Treasure, Cherie & Dee
2008 Ride for Life
  
Photographs by BHS Photography
Thank you so much to everyone who supported the 2008 PVDA Ride for Life! Despite a bit of hot weather, thunderstorms and an apparent mini-tornado (?!), the event was a huge success! Katchi and I were thrilled to have so many friends (and fans!) support us through donations and attendance!
The 2008 event set the goal of raising $50,000 to benefit Johns Hopkins, and the preliminary totals indicate the event was a tremendous success!
$37,000 - direct donations to John Hopkins "Quality of Life" Research Fund
$20,000 - value of items donated to the silent auction and rider raffle
$22,700 - raised to offset the costs of the benefit event
As a result of the donations I gathered, I was the lucky winner of a very special raffle item - a new shadbelly! It was graciously donated by R.J. Classics. If Katchi only knew what this means for his competitive future!!
The Sunday Morning "Fans" - Rebecca, Katchi, Kim, Cherie, Pam (Cherie's Mom), & Amanda
2007 Rife for Life
In 2007 Katchi and I debuted at Training Level at the PVDA Ride for Life. Just one year later, in 2008, we moved up to First Level at the very same show. The benefit competition began in 2004 with just over $3,000 raised to benefit Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Center. In 2007, the event raised over $35,500 of which $25,500 were direct donations to Johns Hopkins!
Remembering Joy Elizabeth Court
 
The Ride for Life is a very special event for Cherie, as she will ride in memory of her first dressage instructor, Joy Elizabeth Court. Joy lost her fight against breast cancer after several relapses and extensive treatment efforts. Through years of illness, triumph and defeat, Joy was forever passionate, determined and optimistic! And she always wore the most beautiful head scarves while cleaning out stalls and watering horses!
For over six years, Joy was Cherie's mentor and instructor as she developed a passion for the hard work and perfection demanded by dressage work. Initially without her own horse, Cherie began lessons on Joy's schoolmaster, a lovely grey named Tak. Later Joy worked tirelessly to develop dressage skills in Cherie's groundbound event horse. After a long journey of Decker regularly jumping out of the dressage arena at least five times every lesson, he eventually consistently knocked the socks off the competition at Preliminary level horse trials! Cherie owes so much to Joy's humor, dedication and persistance! Joy was a longtime member of the United States Dressage Federation and Dallas Dressage Club. In addition to being a dressage instructor, Joy was a science teacher at a local elementary school. At just 47 years of age, Joy passed away in Dallas, Texas on January 17, 1997.
 
For more information, go to the PVDA Ride for Life website.
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