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Home » Postcard: 2009 Driving for Surviving Human Spirit Award


POSTCARD: 2009 DRIVING FOR SURVIVING HUMAN SPIRIT AWARD

Candi Covino Aversenti receives the 2009 Driving for Surviving Human Spirit
Award at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters.

By Equisearch  |   October 15, 2009   |  6 minutes read

Gladstone, N.J., October 15, 2009 — I’m a big believer in ecumenical
equestrianism. What do I mean by that little bit of alliteration? Simply that
we’re all horse people. While we tend to spend most of our time in our own
groups, whether they involve show jumping, reining or whatever, cross-over
reminds us there’s a big picture in this game, and we have a lot in common with
people–and equines–outside our specialties.

There was a good example of this at the U.S. Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation
headquarters last weekend. (Things are really hopping at the USET this month
what with the Talent Search finals, the Pennfield “That’s a Promise” Tour
Finale, etc.; it’s nice to see the place so busy!)


The Driving for Surviving kids put on a show for supporters at the USET
Foundation headquarters. | © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer

This occasion was the Driving for Surviving Human Spirit Award presentation and
luncheon October 11. Driving for Surviving, part of the sharingVillage Survivor
Groups works with children who have survived cancer or other life-threatening
diseases, and in many cases, are still undergoing treatment.

As is the case with therapeutic riding, driving enables these kids to regain or
attain self-esteem after (or during) a long course of treatment, helping to
empower them while facilitating exercise and forging relationships with mentors
and others in their situation.

The honoree at this affair was Candi Covino Aversenti, a big-time Saddlebred
owner and rider who has won ribbons everywhere from Madison Square Garden to the
World Championships in Kentucky. The grandmother of five is also CEO and board
chairman of General Magnaplate Corp., an international metal-finishing firm.

But she still manages to take time to help the Driving for Surviving kids learn
to deal with ponies and mini-horses. Candi and her husband, Ed, get down and
make one-to-one contact with those in the program.

The kids did an adorable drill with their minis, choreographed by 1991 World
Pairs Driving gold medalist Sharon Chesson, who looks at home behind a mini,
just the way she used to behind her big Holsteiners.


Candi Covino Aversenti, third from left, with her Saddlebred pals. She’s next to
her husband, Ed Aversenti, and flanked on her right by Shelley Zlotkin of
Driving for Surviving. That’s Carson Kressley on the far right. | © 2009 by
Nancy Jaffer

Some of Candi’s many friends in the Saddlebred industry came to support her, a
great example of cross-pollination as they were exposed to what Driving for
Surviving is all about. The group included author and TV star Carson Kressley
(“Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”), a lifelong rider who just flew in from a new
project he is working on in L.A. I met Carson in 1995 when he was working for
the American Horse Shows Association, the predecessor of the U.S. Equestrian
Federation. Carson had us all laughing then; I knew he’d be headed for bigger
things before long.



I asked Carson why he had taken time out of his crazy busy schedule to be with
Candi, and here’s what he told me.

He wasn’t the only one who made a detour to come here. The honorary chairman of
the event was six-time dressage Olympian Robert Dover (there’s that ecumenical
thing again.)

Robert’s extra-busy these days, having taken a job as coach/technical advisor
for the Canadian dressage team. It was quite a bounce-back after Robert was
passed over for a similar post with the American team. But don’t think that this
was about “I’ll show you.”

“What I really hope is that everyone knows that is the opposite of how I feel,”
said Robert, who has expressed his best wishes to the American team and genuine
enthusiasm about working with the folks north of the border.

“I knew, just as I had felt for the U.S., I could hopefully bring a high quality
of work ethic and constructive and creative process to the table,” he said. “The
job has been beautifully tailored to my life, such that I feel like I can do all
of the things I hoped to do with the U.S. for Canada, and I’m really looking
forward to it.”

The Equestrian Aid Foundation, of which Robert is one of the founders, has been
a supporter of Driving for Surviving. But Robert’s personal involvement began
during the national dressage championships here in June, when he met Gary
Johnson. The Driving for Surviving crew was supposed to put on a drill during
the championships as an exhibition. The rain that dampened the weekend forced a
cancellation, however, so the kids got to come up to the trophy room and watch.
Robert chatted there with Gary, a city kid who is one of the drivers. Gary walks
with crutches, but sheds them when he gets in the carriage and drives like a
pro.

He and Robert had an instant affinity, so Robert has been using his contacts
around the world to try to find a nifty driving pony for Gary. Earlier this
year, Gary’s heart was broken when Boxcar Willie, a pony donated by world
championships four-in-hand driver Jimmy Fairclough and his family, had to be put
down. He had bonded with Willie, so it’s been a tough time for 17-year-old Gary.
But being with Robert has provided solace for Gary and done a lot for his
mentor, too.

“The minute you meet him and know his story you see he’s all smiles and thankful
for what he has and having horses in his life. You have to help a person like
that,” said Robert, who greeted Gary with a heartfelt hug during the awards
presentation.


Candi Aversenti and Robert Dover present ribbons to Gary Johnson and his friend
Jasmine. | © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer

“You can tell that in his character is a much older soul than this young kid. He
has a wisdom about him that makes him able to have that calm attitude around
horses. Horses can create all sorts of miracles for people who are disabled,”
said Robert.



The luncheon that followed the presentation was held in the USET Foundation’s
landmark stables, with its herringbone tile floors and brass balls on the
stalls. Actually, there were even tables in the stalls!

I stopped for a moment to say hello to Gary and ask him about the amazing day,
with scores of people, dressed to the nines, on hand to watch him and his
friends do their thing.

The ceremonies ended with Candi and Robert climbing aboard Lou Piancone’s
beautiful coach for a tour of the arena behind a gleaming four-in-hand of bay
gelderlanders.

After Candi disembarked, we talked about Driving for Surviving and how she got
involved. It stemmed from her long friendship with Shelley Zlotkin, the force
behind the founding of the group.

“I was totally on board because I had driven Hackney ponies…so I was more than
anxious to be a coach,” Candi said.

She had been retired from showing when she began coaching, but doing it
“instilled the spirit of riding and driving in me again. I came back to it with
a whole new view of why I had been given this talent to be able to give back and
share it. I think the horses work for these kids because every child would want
to have a pony. There’s an immediate connection there. Anybody who’s in horses
knows horses are therapeutic. It works because the children have an immediate
bond with them.”


Lou Piancone takes Robert Dover and Candi Aversenti for a spin in his coach. | ©
2009 by Nancy Jaffer

She pointed out the driving “really empowers them, because anything involving
horses calls for concentration and dedication. Whether they’re little or big
horses, there’s still that horse power, that feeling that as a human being you
are able to contain that. It’s an invaluable experience when you take that and
apply it to your everyday life. You really feel you can do things you might not
have been able to do otherwise.”

She had mentioned in passing that riding her show horse, Cumberland Crescent
(aka Red Dawg) had gotten her through some tough times, so I asked her to tell
me about that.

Candi, a 1972 graduate of Endicott College who is also on the board there, has
brought that school into the equation and a group of the Endicott equestrian
team members came down from Massachusetts to help.

Why don’t you think “ecumenical equestrianism” and see if you can do some kind
of cross-over, perhaps with a rescue group or therapeutic riding organization?
Harness the type of energy that Driving for Surviving has used so effectively.

Be sure to check back Sunday night, October 18 for my postcard from the Dansko
Fair Hill International eventing competition.

Until then,




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