|
A
Walk on the Premises of Dr. Cesar Parra
Indian Summer in New Jersey
 Before
he started a life with horses, Cesar Parra lived in
Bogota, Colombia working at the Bogota University
as a professor in dentistry. His first journeys to
the United States were for academic purposes,
studying. at Harvard University and becoming a Doctor in Science of Dentistry at Boston University. However, as with
every serious
horse person, the equine gene is too strong
to
be suppressed
and Cesar shared a life of teeth and dressage.
Training in Germany with Herbert Rehbein at Gronwohldhof and with Herbert Kukuk at Klaus
Rheinberger's Schafthof
in the late
1990s, Cesar enhanced
his skills in classical dressage by working with the
best dressage trainers in Germany.
By winning the silver medal at the 1999 Pan American
Games aboard his Holsteiner Cinbad, Parra attracted
the interest of the Colombian guerrilla. He made
the courageous decision to leave behind his successful
dentistry
firm in Colombia
and sought refuge in the United States. Together
with his wife Marcela and children Nicole and Federico,
Cesar relocated in New Jersey. "I left
Colombia with two horses and all my savings,"
Parra said. His silver medal
at
the
1999
Pan
Ams proved to be vital for launching his name as a
professional dressage rider in the
United States and everything went upwards
from there.
 Touching down on the Newark International Airport's
runway, Eurodressage reporter Astrid Appels arrived
in New Jersey on October 28, 2004. She was picked up
by Marcela Parra at the international gate. "Most
people
think
New Jersey
is just industrial, but it's only a 15 minute drive
to get into the country side," Marcela said.
Renowned
for its beauty during Indian Summer, New Jersey was
a delight to discover this
autumn, my first Indian summer. Driving on the
highway, I saw the most beautiful painted
trees flash by. Bright reds, greens, yellows, browns;
it was the intensity of the colours that made Indian
summer so different to a bleak European fall. After
only thirty minutes, we drove onto Shade Lane, a gorgeous
alley with gigantic trees, to arrive at Piaffe Performance
Farm.
Text
and Images copyrighted Astrid Appels/Eurodressage.com.
No Reproduction Allowed
Back
One Page / Next Page of the Report
|
