Articles

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Newsletter August 29, 2018 Posted by Trina Wood Michael Muir has always been fascinated with genetics and breeding. As a child, he bred mice for different coat colors. By the age of nine, a family friend helped him start a small flock of sheep that he bred and raised for the local 4H in his hometown of...

In 1998, I was named to Team USA to represent the United States at the first World Championship for Drivers with Disabilities held in Wolfsburg, Germany.  We came home from that extraordinary event with a Team Bronze medal.  I was determined to improve on that performance and spent much of the year in 1999 on the East Coast, training for...

Courage and motivation are sometimes found in surprising places. We would like to share this story from our friends in McAlpin, Florida at Rockin' the Dots Ranch, American Sugarbush Harlequin Drafthorses and Stonewall Sporthorses of Florida. This active breeding farm is now the home of the matriarch of our current stable of Stonewall Sporthorses, the grand matron Stonewall Scarlett. She is...

On September 28, 2017, fifty years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Michael Muir will hear these words as he prepares to enter the ring in Izsac, Hungary, at the World Championships for Carriage Drivers with Disabilities.  Michael will be the only American, among carriages drivers around the world, to compete for honors at the pinnacle of his sport. Six...

At this writing, September 18, 2017, I have arrived in Budapest to compete for the United States in the Para Combined Driving Championship in Izsàc. This venue is also hosting the Hungarian National Driving Championship. Talented whips and dazzling horses are converging here from across Eastern Europe, home to many legendary drivers and their equally talented horses. It isn't possible to...

My Hungarian sponsors made many advance arrangements for me, including booking "the rich American" into a posh hotel for my extended stay while training in Vesces, near Budapest. I had other ideas. I chose a nearby hostel off the internet and was delighted to be dropped at the charming establishment of Agi' Schubert, a world traveler who spoke excellent English. This talent...

United States Driving for the Disabled hosted another training clinic October 10-11, with Team USA coach and trainer Sara Schmitt, organized by USDFD President Diane Kastama. The venue was Kismet Farm, the beautifully appointed stable of Tracy Bowman, a disabled carriage driver, in Martinez, California. Access Adventure sent our young trio of mares Stonewall Calypso, Samba and Minuet, along with...

Read more articles of interest on the Access Adventure Website.