Photo Gallery: Special Olympic equestrian athletes are matched with the horses they will ride for the games
Swiss Special Olympics equestrian athlete Sandro Wessneo mounts Super Mario, a horse he and his coach will evaluate at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Burbank Leader
Four horse masters and their teams of volunteers matched 85 borrowed horses to more than 120 Special Olympics riders from 35 countries on Sunday and Monday in preparation for competitive events this week, factoring in the rider’s skills, size and coordination, among other things. Each horse was matched with up to two riders.
Ramazotti 75, owned by Lehua Custer of Burbank, is evaulated by British Special Olympics equestrian athlete Georgina Maton at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Special Olympics equestrian volunteers wait for results as horses are evaluated by the Swiss equestrian team at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Horse master Amy Sheets, of Carlsbad, looks at the horses that remain on her list as she becomes aware that the Swiss team currently evaluating horses may reject one or both of them at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Swiss Special Olympics equestrian athlete Sandro Wessneo rides Super Mario, the horse that horse master Amy Sheets matched him with at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Significantly different sized horses are evaulated by Swiss Special Olympics equestrian athletes Andreas Schaad rides Take a Chance and Sandro Wessneo rides Super Mario at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. Wessneo accepted Super Mario, and Take a Chance was rejected, the second time today the horse was rejected. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Swiss Special Olympic equestrian athlete Sandro Wessneo poses for a photo atop Super Mario, the horse he accepted at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Pass the Award Dave is secure in a stable as a potential horse to be matched with a Special Olympics rider at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Amy Sheets, of Carlsbad, the horse master for Group D, works with volunteers to prepare horses for matching to Special Olympics athletes at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Horsemaster Amy Sheets, of Carslbad and Swiss equestrian coach Astrid Gygax talk Super Mario, the horse that Swiss Special Olympics equestrian athlete Sandro Wessneo will evaluate at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Horsemaster Amy Sheets, of Carslbad, Swiss equestrian coach Astrid Gygax, and Swiss Special Olympics equestrian athlete Andreas Schaad watch the horses they will evaluate get paraded to them at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Swiss Special Olympics equestrian athlete Sandro Wessneo and his coach Astrid Gygax evaluate Super Mario, the horse they are matched with at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Wessneo and Gygax accepted the horse. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Special Olympics equestrian athletes from Belgium practice the route they will take, but on foot because they cannot ride their horses yet, at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Two Belgian Special Olympics equestrian athletes pretend they are riding their horses as they practice on foot the route they will take at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
A Special Olympics equestrian volunteer handles Ramzotti 75, owned by Lehua Custer, of Burbank, after being rejected by the British team at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
One of the Group D horses available for matching with Special Olympics equestrian athletes, sits in a stable decorated for the Special Olympics, at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Super Mario, a horse available for being matched to a Special Olympics equestrian athlete, is prepared at it’s stable at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
Ramazotti 75, owned by Lehua Custer of Burbank, is evaulated by British Special Olympics equestrian athlete Georgina Maton at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. The British team rejected Ramazotti for another horse. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
The schedule board with the countries and the horses that they have been match with at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Monday, July 27, 2015. Four teams, A through D, matched horses with riders for all of the riders from all of the countries participating in the equestrian events at the Special Olympics. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)