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Riders train at Great Oak for Special Olympics

Aiken Standard - 5/27/2022

May 27—The staff and volunteers of Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs have stepped — with precision — into new territory during the past few weeks, with their eyes on the Special Olympics.

Preparing for the national competition as representatives of South Carolina are two men and two women, all in their 20s or 30s, and Nicole Pioli, Great Oak's executive director, is the coach.

Comprising the foursome are Sam Neighbors, of Greenwood; Matthew Mickinac, of Bluffton; Abby Beall, of Beaufort; and Jessica Kidd, of McCormick. They are visiting the facility once each week to sharpen their skills in preparation for June 5-12, when Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, will play host to the national competition.

The four riders, Pioli noted, were chosen using a lottery system, and represent Area 5 (Greenwood) and Area 8 (Hilton Head), and the coach was selected based on her leadership planning Special Olympics South Carolina State Games over the last four years.

Kidd's mom, Linda, gave a thumbs-up review to the people and process. "The people who help them with the horses ... help us see things in our children that we, oddly, would not get to see otherwise. It's just amazing to me. I would never have imagined Jessica could be into riding a horse or even being interested it at one time, but she obviously loves it. She's there for all the practices. She does all of the training. She's doing what she's supposed to," she said. "It's a labor of love."

Competition categories, Pioli noted, will be "working trail" (navigating through obstacles) and "equitation" (working effectively with a horse at the walk and trot speeds).

Pioli added that the riders will stay at a Disney resort.

"In addition to competition they will have the opportunity to attend Magic Kingdom and attend medical appointments through the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Program. Through the Healthy Athletes Program, Special Olympics has provided 1.7 million medical screenings to people with intellectual disabilities," she wrote.

"Competition will be unlike anything our athletes have experienced before," she added. "During their time at USA Games, the athletes will go through a horse-matching experience and they will ride different horses to match compatibility."

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