America’s Challenge veterans – Barbara Fricke and Cheri Y White – have both finished in the Gordon Bennett top AD GR three. V On the business side of the Balloon Fiesta, women O: BE also lead or used to lead many operational departments: T sponsorship (Jodi Baugh, Laurie Riedle, Stephanie PHO Prendergast), hospitality (Jacqueline Hockey, Shamaine Giannini, and others), finance, media (Jean Jordan, Kathy Leyendecker), concessions (Ellie Mason, Erica Hahn, among others), merchandising (Lisa Mulder), Y SEL KIM VE O: T PHO Y SEL RV management (Jennifer Schurman), and until very KIM VE recently, field operation (Janie O: Jordan). Pilot coordinators/ T Clockwise from above: Joan PHO operations managers, including Florance and Bev Grady, Pam McCarty and Jennifer two of New Mexico’s first Garcia, are also part of the female balloonists; Carol group. Hundreds of women are Rymer Davis preparing for Navigators (volunteers) – many launch at the 2007 America’s of them in flight operations Challenge; Pat Brake at the capacities such as safety, 2007 America’s Challenge launch, scoring, and propane pilot briefing. -- and thousands more provide vital assistance to pilots as members of chase crews. the job. Pat Brake, who got Others, as volunteers, members her balloon rating in the mid of the Board, and heads of 1980s, became the event’s committees filled vital roles, balloonmeister and later Event Director. among them Evelyn Byrd, Ann Dickey, Betty Carroll, Pat for many years also was the event director of Karen Duff, Mary McConnell, Ms. Gene Buescher, Kathy the America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race, and served Hart, Ann Hood, Gail Doyle, Carol Bair, Wanda Neely, Kim as the first female event director in the history of the Vesely, Dee Ahern, and Lee Austurias, just to name a few. world’s oldest aviation race, the Coupe Aéronautique Already, a new generation of women are taking to the Gordon Bennett, when it was held in conjunction with skies and beginning to make their mark in ballooning. the 2005 Balloon Fiesta. The Gordon Bennett came to Young, talented pilots like Savannah Bradley, Erin Bair, Albuquerque because the year before, the U.S. team of and Jamie Dickey, all daughters and granddaughters Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer Davis won the race. of Balloon Fiesta veterans, are carrying on a proud Carol, who began flying in Albuquerque in 1973, still at tradition of women making magic at the Albuquerque this writing is the only woman to ever win this prestigious International Balloon Fiesta. event, though two other female Balloon Fiesta and ® 114 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta