It’s tough enough to win in the hunter ring – competition is fierce, as is the judging – but can you imagine riding those courses blind?
For American equestrian Lissa Bachner, that became her reality. When she was three, Bachner was diagnosed with two rare immune disorders – juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which inflames her joints, and uveitis, which attacked her eyes. By the time she was 30, the rider had lost her left eye and most of the vision in her right eye. Yet despite of her lack of vision, painful surgeries, and her doctor’s disapproval, Bachner never lost her passion for horses and riding and continued to ride and compete at the top levels of the sport.
And she couldn’t have done it without at least one special horse. For Bachner during this challenging time it was Milo, whom she imported from Germany as a five-year-old, who would carry her back into the ring. Together the duo would accomplish what seemed impossible; becoming one of America’s most successful riding teams in the hunter ring, winning two national rankings, four zone rankings and over 35 nationally-ranked classes with Bachner visually impaired and Milo as her “seeing-eye horse.”