Charity partnership in aid of therapeutic riding
Cooperation contract signed on Monday

"Not possible, doesn't exist in my books," says Bettina Eistel laughing. When she takes part in competitions she holds her horses' reins in her mouth - she was born without arms as a result of thalidomide damage. Today, she is 44 years old and after starting therapeutic riding she progressed into the dressage sport. She hasn't just caused a sensation at many German Championships, but also at the Paralympics in Athens in 2004. Now she is in Aachen to promote this form of therapy. At the FEI World Equestrian Games Aachen 2006 (August 20th - September 3rd) the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV), the Förderkreis Behindertensport e.V. (Association for Disabled Sports) and the Deutsche Kuratorium für Therapeutisches Reiten e.V. (DKThR) (German Curatorship for Therapeutic Riding) are asserting themselves for handicapped people with the help of several different campaigns. The cooperation contract following the motto "Lucky Charm" was signed in Aachen on Monday.

"Supporting therapeutic riding has been one of the matters that lies close to our hearts since 1998 and we collect money for this cause for instance at the CHIO," said ALRV President, Klaus Pavel. "It is our social obligation." The FEI World Equestrian Games - the second largest sporting event in Germany this decade - is also to be used as a platform to show a wide public the soothing, curing and preventative effects the horse can have on people, after all as well as 800 sportsmen and women, 500,000 visitors from all over the world are expected to attend the event. "It is wonderful that the ALRV is considering handicapped people while executing such a huge tournament," commented Cornelia von Rüxleben-Plöger, Chairwoman of the DKThR happily. Herbert Kaul, CEO of the Association for Disabled Sports, is setting his aims high. "It should be possible to achieve 100,000 Euros in donations."

For example by raffling off the "Art foal", that was painted brightly, first of all by the artist Werner Melech, who painted the head in the colours of the seven WEG disciplines, and then by the children of the therapy groups of Aachen. The piece of art is to be eternalised with the signatures of the Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Federal President Horst Köhler and with those of the World Champions. "The winner of the raffle will therefore receive something quite unique, that can't be bought anywhere," explained Sacha Eckjans, DKThR Managing Director. "When he purchases the right raffle ticket at the DKThR stand or at the stand of their cooperation partner, the Westdeutsche Rundfunk." The proceeds will be donated to the Children Support Fund of the DKThR. Therapeutic riding is to be put under the spotlight during info talks and autograph-signing sessions with the World Champions, at donation collecting activities or in show numbers of the supporting programme. Among others, on September 2nd, before the Warsteiner Prize, the jumping competition with the 25 best riders, the dressage Olympic gold medallist Isabell Werth will perform a pas de deux together with a blind rider. The charity partners will be erecting two "thank you walls" at the entrances of the show grounds as a sign of their gratitude to the public in Aachen and the ALRV for their immense support over the past years.

"Everyone needs help at some time or other, whether they have a handicap or not," comments Bettina Eistel. "Integration has been achieved, when we are able to learn from each other." Eistel has herself experienced that people with a handicap can take on a role model for others. "Klaus Balkenhol, the US national dressage coach, watched me riding once and said afterwards: When I see the harmony between you and your horse, I realise that we ourselves still don't place enough confidence in our horses yet."

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