On Wednesday, Oct. 10, ABC’s Good Morning America will feature Paralympian Rebecca Hart. Between 8-9 a.m. EDT, the morning news program will air clips of Hart and Lord Ludger.
Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, is also an equestrian with a disability—she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis—and she’ll present the footage of Hart and Lord Ludger as part of her co-hosting gig.
The initial plan was that Romney would ride Irish Paralympic horse Orlando alongside Hart in New York City’s Times Square, but U.S. Para-Equestrian Chef d’Equipe Missy Ransehousen indicated those plans have been modified.
Three members of the Good Morning America crew were at Blue Hill Farm in Unionville, Pa., on Monday, Oct. 8. They filmed Hart riding Lord Ludger and interviewed Hart and Ransehousen about the therapeutic benefits of riding.
“This is geared more towards the therapeutic end of it, rather than the high performance end of it,” said Ransehousen.
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Producers approached Hart and Blue Hill Farm (owned by Ransehousen’s mother, Jessica Ransehousen) on Friday. At first, the plan was for Missy to bring Lord Ludger (owned by Jessica) and Orlando (owned by Irish Paralympian James Dwyer and stabled at Blue Hill Farm) to Times Square in order for Romney and Hart to ride in front of the cameras and the Good Morning America audience.
On Monday evening, after spending the day at Blue Hill Farm acquiring footage of Hart and conducting interviews, producers notified Jessica that Romney might not ride. The revised plan is for Romney “to stand and pat a horse,” according to Missy.
“Becca did well,” said Missy. However, producers decided the footage taken on Monday would likely be sufficient.
Blue Hill Farm and Good Morning America producers will continue the conversation on Tuesday, Oct. 9, in order to determine whether it will be necessary to ship a horse from Blue Hill Farm into New York City.
