This spring, USDF silver medalist Sara Norris-Kamerer was frustrated. She had been diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis, fibromyalgia, and functional neurological disorder. All of these conditions added a challenge in the saddle, creating tremors and pain that have real impacts on her stability and balance, but even taken together they did not meet the standard for a para athlete classification. Norris-Kamerer sent an email to Ellie Brimmer, president of the United States Para Equestrian Association, USEF board member, and member of the USEF’s Adaptive Sport Committee, expressing her frustration at being neither para nor able-bodied.
“I wasn’t sure about being certified para,” Norris-Kamerer said. “When I read some of the ins and outs, it didn’t feel like I met that criteria and it felt like I was lost. That’s why I reached out.”
Many people may not realize that there are three options for athletes with disabilities. Some may be certified as para athletes; some dressage and combined driving athletes can apply for dispensations that allow them to have special accommodations at licensed competitions, and still others may apply for a Presidential Modification to get a dispensation for a temporary condition.
For para classification, a disability must be measurable and classifiable to allow fairness on the field of play. Applying for a para classification can be complicated; the athlete needs to meet with a licensed classifier, who will perform a physical exam and review medical diagnoses to see if they meet the International Paralympic Committee’s requirements.
If someone’s disability does not meet the IPC’s requirements for a para classification, the athlete may apply to the Adaptive Sport Committee for what’s called a dispensation, or a document allowing the athlete to use special equipment that helps them deal with their disability while maintaining a level field of play. The committee reviews the athlete’s medical documentation and evaluates the requested modifications.
The Adaptive Sport Committee is made up of athletes, trainers, and para classifiers, so an athlete’s request gets a multi-faceted review.
“Speaking just for myself, the primary things I consider are: what are they requesting, and does it fit the medical documentation? Then, is it safe?” said Brimmer. “Question three is, is it fair to the other athletes? Question four is, can we even do it, is it feasible to do?"
For example, someone with diagnosed hearing loss may be permitted to wear an earpiece in a busy hunter/jumper warm-up because they can’t otherwise hear the horses moving around them. Someone who is missing an arm may request a special rein that can be more easily held with one hand. An athlete with significant arthritis may benefit from reins with specialized grips that make it easier for them to consistently hold the reins. On its own, pain is not sufficient for a dispensation, but it’s often part of an athlete’s experience, which is why it’s important for the committee to consider the whole picture.
Brimmer says the committee does review medical records closely and makes sure the request fits with what the athlete’s doctors have noted. They may also ask to see an example of equipment the athlete plans to use to make sure there are no safety concerns, such as an adaptive rein being too long that it risks getting caught on other equipment.
“We want to make sure at the end of the day everybody is safe and can enjoy the sport and it’s fair to everyone else as well,” said Brimmer. “It’s not about giving anybody an advantage; it’s making sure everything is fair.”
The Adaptive Sport Committee also provides comments on proposed rule changes that can impact para athletes or disabled athletes, and keep an eye on FEI para rule updates that can provide them with ideas that can help national-level athletes, too.
Norris-Kamerer worked with her neurologist to create a request to allow her to use magnetic stirrups to help with instability in her left leg, and to salute the judge with a head nod rather than removing a hand from the reins and having to readjust her grip.
“It was extremely easy. I gathered all my medical records — I had quite a few — about 45 pages of medical documentation,” she said.
Courtesy Sara Norris-Kamerer
By June, she had the dispensation she’d requested, and says those simple changes have changed her competitive season.
“My system is very sensitive to stress and of course horse shows are stressful,” said Norris-Kamerer. “I can’t say I have an overwhelming amount show nerves — I trust my horse — but my anxiety came from, will my body perform today, will I get symptomatic in the middle of a test? And that just exacerbated the symptoms. So taking away the loss of the left stirrup in particular makes me much more secure to help my horse do the best that he can without me fighting my own body.”
As a para athlete herself, Brimmer said that figuring out what works for you is a highly individual process which can sometimes be isolating. In cases where the committee cannot approve someone’s request due to a safety or logistical concern, they will sometimes make suggestions based on tools they’ve seen work well for others.
“I think many times, people think of USEF as just a regulator,” she said. “But we’re here to help people, too.”
Norris-Kamerer and her horse Midt-West Zun Dancer have no CDI aspirations but are dancing happily around the Prix St. Georges in national-level competition. She said after her experience, she encourages anyone who thinks they may need a dispensation to apply for one.
“You never know until you try. The biggest thing is to just take a leap of faith,” she said. “If you really, truly feel this is something that would benefit you, try. The worst you can hear is no, and then you make another plan. Don't be afraid to ask questions, everyone I contacted, especially Ellie, were incredibly helpful and be patient! It takes time but it can be well worth the wait."
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Committee positions at USEF are unpaid, volunteer roles. The Adaptive Sport Committee is one of the committees that will be repopulated in January 2027 for three-year terms. If you’re a USEF senior member and interested in joining the Adaptive Sport Committee, please fill out a committee interest form here.