editor’s  note: The riding and driving for the disables in America is greatly in  need of not only the full support of our national federations but from  the equestrian community as well. The Germans and British excell in the  international arena because of the support in horses and finances they  get. Let’s get on board in the USA as we are hosting the first ever  Para Equestrian Games at the 2010 WEG. MPH

The  visitors of this year’s World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen have  collected 15,000 Euros for the benefit of therapeutic riding and the  sports for the disabled. In the course of the “Night of the Stars 2008”  – a charity event of the paralympic sport in the Mercedes-World in  Berlin – Klaus Pavel, President of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein  (ALRV), handed over the cheque to Gerda Pleitgen, who is Chairwoman of  the Sports Association for the Disabled. Pleitgen was enthused about  the “great commitment of the CHIO Aachen and the horse sport fans”.  Also dressage riders Bettina Eistel and Angelika Trabert were glad  about the big donation. They had won the Team Silver medal at the  Paralympic Games 2008 in Hongkong together and were being honoured for  their success in Berlin in the presence of German Chancellor Angela  Merkel.

For  many years now, the joint charity campaign”Moments of Luck” of the  ALRV, the Sports Association for the Disabled and the German  Curatorship for Therapeutic Riding (DKthR) has called attention to the  hardships of handicapped people and has collected money for the good  cause in the course of the CHIO Aachen. By that, tens of thousand Euros  as well as further 80,000 Euros in the course of the FEI World  Equestrian Games Aachen 2006 have been collected in the past. “And we  are proud”, explained Klaus Pavel, “that we could establish a new  donation record in 2008, there has been a revenue increase of 50 per  cent. This success shows us that we are on the right path, and it will  give us additional motivation.” It is the financial aid that is needed  urgently especially in the field of therapeutic riding. This form of  therapy uses the alleviative, curative and preventive effect of the  horse’s presence and performance on the handicapped patient: In the  case of motor activity or perception problems, communication and  contact difficulties, depressions or a physical or mental disability.

Further   Information:

• www.chioaachen.de
• www.dkthr.de