Over the past two years, five countries (South Africa, Poland, Croatia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic) have benefitted from grants provided by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, with the objective of increasing and providing opportunities for riders to compete in top level competitions with the ultimate aim of qualifying for the Paralympic Games. And of the five countries which have been a part of the programme, four have sent riders, including South Africa who have sent their first equestrian team to a Paralympic (and Olympic) Games! They are the pioneers for both the able and disabled riders, and their great success at these Games will hopefully fuel and an even greater movement when they return home.

The grants over the past two years amount to a sum of 50,000 USD, and is used as a stepping stone for the National Paralympic Committees and National Federations to equally contribute and make a difference. On a practical level, the funding allows riders to attend training seminars (travel and accommodation), and participate in competitions they would otherwise be unable to attend. The training seminars are led by Course director Jane Goldsmith who was selected for her experience, having led the very successful British team at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney. As eloquently put by project manager Ann Kern-Godal “Essentially it is a development programme which includes practical riding and trainer instruction along with theoretical issues related to maximising the potential of the riders, the trainer and the horses.”

This grant has clearly set the wheels in motion for many of these athletes here at the games, and while they may not be on the podium this year, they are gaining the vital experience which will lead them to the top. The rider’s competing at these Games which have benefited from this programme include For Poland’s Grade IV rider Patrycja Gepner, the two Croatian riders in Grade Ia, Slavin Hudina and Ivan Srsic who placed fifth and sixth respectively at today’s freestyle event, the members of the South African team, and the competitor from Slovakia competing in Grade Ia, Katarina Jobbagyova.

As all the athletes have said over and over again, it’s a real team effort getting to the Games and if it weren’t for the funding and support, many of the competitors would not make it at all - so it is with great satisfaction that we can see the development programmes having an impact and that new and emerging Para-equestrian nations are rising to the occasion. Development is a step by step process, and seeing the results at these Games does confirm not only the need but also the lasting benefits to be gained from grants such as the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. It’s about setting the wheels in motion, so for 2012, the sky’s the limit.