Show jumpers know all about twists and turns, making adjustments, and dealing with changes quickly and effectively. Rider Angela Covert-Lawrence is proving that she can handle those quick changes both on and off her horses. In the past year alone, this 27-year-old has handled adjustments from wedlock to Wellington.
  In September 2003, Angel a Covert married Mike Lawrence, a prominent equine dentist. By December, the couple had purchased the Pépinière Stables in St. Lazare , Quebec , where both will continue the successful tradition left behind with the passing of Gladys Adam last spring. Then in January, Covert­Lawrence made her annual trek to Florida - a journey she has been making for the past seven years. But this year, the road led to a venue new to her - the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club, home of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington as opposed to her normal show schedule at the HITS shows in Ocala . Plus, Covert-Lawrence took on two new show horses -­ her 2004 mounts include a Belgium warmblood named Tomboy Major and a French mare called Heve de Mazure, both owned by Marc and Louise Sabbah of Wellington.
   But then tackling change successfully has been a hallmark of Covert-Lawrence's career. Last year, she fin shed second overall in the 2003 Jump Canada National Talent Squad Series, an honor that earned a Sport Canada Athlete Development Card for her, which provides $500 per month to assist in the cost of further training. With that backing, she competed throughout Florida before focusing on the eastern Canadian shows and then the United States show circuit. She won the Saratoga Cup at the Saratoga Horse Show in New York and was named Open Jumper Champion at the Vermont Summer Festival in July. A month earlier, riding Lord Byron Z, she emerged champion at the Coca-Cola Modified Grand Prix at the CSI-W Bromont International, QC.
   In Wellington for the 2004 winter season, Covert­Lawrence dealt with the new environment as she has handled all the rest - with aplomb. "My husband and I miss a lot of the people in Ocala , but we love Wellington ," she said.

Eyes On The Prize -
Canadian Team
Covert-Lawrence decided on a career as a show jumper when she was nine-years-old - but not just as a competitor. She wanted to be on the Canadian Show Jumping team, and even wrote that goal in her diary. "Ten years later, that's still my goal," she says.
   Add drive and determination to that focus, and you'll see the combination of forces that have propelled her through years of what others might call a grueling regimen. As a high school student, she competed in several varsity sports and learned along the way about the degree of discipline it takes to excel in sports especially in the equestrian world. She worked every morning with a local veterinarian from 5:30 to 7:30; rode four or five horses during the day; and then taught in the evening at her parent's stables. Most nights, she didn't get to bed before midnight.
   By age 19, she had earned countless provincial zone awards, 15 hunter classic wins some Grand Prix victories, a CEF Level 1 coaching certification, a nomination as Nova Scotia's female Athlete of the Year and, in 1994, was named the Gilliam Wilson Canadian Junior Equestrian of the Year. The Wilson honor is given to the junior rider who has made outstanding contributions to equestrian com­petition and who has displayed exceptional talent, sportsmanship, and dedication to the sport.
   Covert-Lawrence's determination to gain international recognition paid off when sent a copy of her riding tape to Calgary and subsequently was offered a position as trainer and coach at Spruce Meadows. She accepted and while working at that venerable show grounds, she improved on her ability to assess horses' ride ability, honed her skills as a rider and a teacher, and fueled her desire to succeed. The President of Spruce Meadows, Mrs. M.E. Southern, had this to say about Angela in a letter written in 1997: "You're a talented rider and one of the most personable people I've ever met. Whatever you do, you will bring joy and happiness to those around you and I know that you will be extremely successful."
   After moving back to eastern Canada in 1997, Covert-Lawrence managed a private facility near Bromont for four years. In 2000, she and her husband-to-be founded East­wood Equine, Inc. in partnership.
   In Wellington for the 2004 season, Covert-Lawrence continued to make Southern's words accurate. She worked with 11 horses and was schooling some very talented amateur riders in both the hunter and jumper divisions. She earned several ribbons in both the 1.40m and 1.45m classes. One of her top students included 18 year-old Jennifer 0'Neill of Montreal, who placed eighth individually in the junior division last year at the 2003 North American Young Riders' Championships.
   Looking ahead, Covert-Lawrence and her husband are gearing up for the Pépinière Horse Shows, slated for May 20-24.
   Plans, of course, are always subject to change. Whether the upcoming plans change or not however, Angela Covert-Lawrence has proven that she can handle them, whatever the may be.