​Chancellor Lee Adams has joined a team of 12 athletes from Victory Farm in Gastonia to train for the Special Olympics equestrian competition. The team traveled to the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina, to compete in the Southeast Regional Equestrian Tournament.Adams lives with cerebral palsy and has ridden horses on and off for years as physical therapy. The training has strengthened his core and legs, enabling him to take steps without relying on his walker.Victory Farm Head Instructor Dory Pell emphasized that the event is a rigorous athletic competition rather than a passive exercise. “So many people assume that we put these riders on a horse and we lead them through a course or we lead them around the ring. It is no pony ride! It is a true competition where they have to learn skills and ability. They are going to work through challenges such as making their body do what they didn’t think it was capable of,” Pell said.ALSO READ: Chancellor Lee Adams turns 26Chancellor Lee Adams competes in two separate divisions: showmanship and working trail. In showmanship, Adams must lead his horse, Dore-Ry, through a memorized course. The working trail division simulates riding through the woods. “And that is one that has a lot of different obstacles and patterns. He has to remember all the patterns and obstacles and execute them to perfection. In the proper order,” Pell said.During practice, Adams worked on navigating obstacles, including stopping on a raised wooden platform and commanding his horse, “Whoa! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.” Pell praised his commitment during training sessions. “That young man is so devoted to getting this done that he just works and works and works. He never wants to stop. We’re the ones that have to stop him because he wants to make sure he gets it right,” Pell said, describing his effort as “It’s astounding.”Adams was born after a November 1999 attack orchestrated by his father, former Carolina Panthers player Rae Carruth. Carruth hired a gunman who shot Adams’ mother, Cherica Adams, while she was pregnant. Cherica Adams died from her injuries, but Chancellor Lee Adams survived the shooting.ALSO READ: Rae Carruth sends son money after being released from prisonSaundra Adams, the grandmother who has raised Adams since birth, said participating in the competition gives him valuable encouragement. “The extra ata’ boy, he’s doing good. You know, he needs that encouragement. You know, and I think that’s good for all children, not just children with special needs, all children and adults. We need to hear that. You know, you really did good. And this is, you know, this is not something that’s just giving him an award. He’s earning it!” Saundra Adams said.In addition to physical training, Saundra Adams focused on preparing her grandson emotionally for the competition. “We’ve talked about that at home, and he understands that, you know, not everybody may get first pl