* Barbara Silverman; Horsewoman Bid for Olympics

Barbara Silverman, 42, a nationally known horsewoman who battled ovarian cancer while training to make the U.S. Olympic equestrian team. In February, People magazine wrote about her drive to make the Olympic team in dressage, the equestrian sport in which the rider puts the horse through a series of precise, elegant moves. “The biggest contribution that Barbara has made in the last year is raising the level of awareness of ovarian cancer as a silent killer of women,” said Mary Phelps, a photographer who knew and documented Silverman’s riding career for about 20 years. Silverman, whose fight was featured on the “Today “ show in September, was first treated for ovarian cancer when she was 26. The disease, which is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States, recurred three years ago, and again last year. Silverman was raised in Glen Cove, N.Y., and discovered dressage, which she described as “ballet on horseback,” while she was training for competitive jumping. She abandoned her Olympic qualifying effort in March when it became apparent that she was no longer strong enough to compete. On Wednesday at her home in Louisville, Ky.