ALPHABET-EYES

Alphabet-Eyes is the brainchild of technological genius and horseman Ralph Carr who happens to have a blind girlfriend with international equestrian ambitions. That would be me. As he likes to tell it, we were sitting around watching TV one night when I turned to him and asked (imagine him mimicking me in a sugary sweet, pleading, and whining tone), "Honey, could you make me a system that... (insert long list of requirements here)?" And he said it could be done! The secret to success is believing in yourself and surrounding yourself with others who do!

Ralph had been the coach to direct me around crowded rail classes using a radio transmitter, and he had adapted a motion sensor to help me find my way to the center of jumps, but my new chosen discipline posed unique problems. Dressage involves performing specific movements at specific places in a rectangular arena marked with letters. Previous methods we had used would not work for executing precise patterns because they were either too reactionary or did not give enough information. If I tried to trot straight down the centerline with ralph directing me on a radio, he might tel me I was veering to the left, I would over correct and veer to the right, and my straight line would look like a drunken sailor's interpretation of same. Worse yet, I might end up performing an upper level lateral movement right out of the dressage court, as the rail is only a foot high! but when I have a fixed sound to aim toward, I can trot a straight line right to it.

Typically, "living letters" are used to orient blind riders to their whereabouts in the dressage arena. This involves eight people standing at the perimeter letters and being directed by Mr. X in the center of the arena to sound off when the rider is headed their way. The trouble is, I don't have nine people with whom to practice; and getting everyone to a show, particularly overseas, would be costly and logistically challenging. Recruiting volunteers at a competition and entering the arena to do something none of us has practiced so much as once would unnerve even the best able-bodied rider, and finding enough English-speaking participants in a foreign country might prove futile. The quieter voices of women and children tend to get lost in the wind and can be deceiving as to how far away they are - and just try to find nine MEN at a dressage show! Plus there is no clause that says if any one of the nine other people involved makes a mistake, the rider gets to call "Do over!"

So Ralph designed and built a remote-controlled electronic letter-announcing system called Alphabet-Eyes to orient me to where I am in the dressage arena and give me an audible reference as to my location. A fully-contained, self-powered, 8" square unit consisting of a receiver, speakers, and mini disc player with the appropriate letter recorded on it is placed atop a tripod at each perimeter letter and is cued by Ralph, a.k.a. Mr. X, when to sound off. This adaptive equipment is allowed in qualifying competitions under the USA Equestrian living letters rule 1922.4.1.

Separately my trainer and I work on the technical aspects of dressage and my coach and I work on orientation to the arena, working toward putting the two together in a well choreographed demonstration of dancing on horseback!

Alphabet-Eyes was no inexpensive endeavor, and I am ingratiated to the following sponsors for their support in helping me achieve my goals and putting Ralph's ingenuity to practical use:

A.J.'s Fine Foods

The Bachers

Kendall Brookhart

Joanne Burian

Jeannine Bartnicki

Janet Blau

Amanda Blondin

Marilyn Blusson

Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship

Jocelyn Cascio

Cathy's Rum Cake Catering

Channel 3 TV

Thomas Clark

Continental Catering

Scarlett & Roger Coyle

Jack Crawford

Cheryl Davison

Naomi Davison

Cherie Day

Russell & Marissa Demers

Dial Corporation

Diet Blends Herbal Supplements

Paul Dietz Horsemanship

Joyce Dreyer

Kathy Duncan

Dynamite Dressage Stables

Donna Jo Graham-Dykes

Eileen Earnhart

Alicia Ebel

Jeffrey Edelstein, M.D.

Lee Fitch

Todd Fitch

James Flach

Foster's Restaurant

David Foster

Lloyd Fox

Miki Freauff

Futaba Corporation of America

Greenway Saddlery

Connie Gregorie

Lee, Wendy, & Shelly Griffith

The Grilled Expedition

Haiku Restaurant

John Harrison

Lea Hart

Neal Hill

If Your Horse Could Talk

Jalapeno's Restaurant

Russ Laurie

Deborah Leach

Marcelle Leet

Peggy Leslie

Tom Lidner

Barry Lindsten

Larry & Cynthia Lippon

Kim Lorenz

Cyndi Lorenzen

Kay Lorenzen

Lotions & Potions

William Machelor

Julie Mahlek

Eric Mathiesen

June Maul

Debbie McDonald

Sherrie McDowell

Willard McDowell

Lloyd McNeil

Sydnee Miller

Charles Monroe

Celeste Morin

Morton's Restaurant

Irene Murphy

The Nevilles

Lane Neville

New West Landscaping

Cheree Nichole

Penny Nissley

Edward O'Brien

Deborah O'Keefe

P.F. Chang's Restaurant

Paula Paglia

The Pampered Horse & Rider

Katya Parr

Pepsi Corporation

Anita Peterson

Petroglyph Arabians

Petsmart

Philosophy Cosmetics

Phoenix Coyotes

Pinto Horse Association of America

Ann Quinn

Ian Rasor

Rising Sun Equine Therapy

Jeremy & Tracy Roenick

Beverly Rogers

Safeway Corporation

Melanie Sasson

Shellbird Inc.

Richard Sisson

Diana & Lauren Smith

Starbucks Coffee

Barbara STein

Elizabeth Stewart

Stockman's Western Wear

Mitchell Super

Tack Etc.

Laura Tillman

Jean Toutai

Maria Townsend

Frank Trznadel

Un Baccio Restaurant

Clell Usher

Vetter Arabians

Greg Vogel

John Walker

Meredith & Jeffrey Watters

Western Ranchman

Noreen & Ken Willig

Marsha Wilson

Gerry Woodard

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