MUCH WENLOCK in Shropshire is famous for being the inspiration for the modern Olympics. On the outskirts of the town is the Cavalier Centre, which enables people with a disability to become champions in disciplines from dressage to showjumping, driving and vaulting.
Established by Jane Barker in 1995, the Cavalier Centre started from humble beginnings. It was originally called the Perry Riding Group and Jane started by accommodating students from a special school in Shrewsbury, who were only able to attend riding lessons outside the county. Nowhere in Shropshire offered accessible riding facilities.
They started by running carriage driving sessions with two horses and a couple of volunteers. As the group grew, they launched a vaulting class for children with ADHD-autism from another local school. This intervention led to recognisable improvements in students’ behaviour and social interaction.
The centre is affiliated with the charity Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), which was formed in 1969 because of the positive health and therapeutic benefits that riding has on disabled people.
Some 55 years on, the RDA has grown exponentially with more than 500 groups and 20,000 children and adults with disabilities participating in equine activities across the country. Throughout the year, there are a series of regional contests leading to a national championships at Hartpury College, Gloucestershire.
The Cavalier Centre empowers people with a disability to succeed at every level, whether grassroots, nationally or just for fun. This is the story of three individuals who have benefited from equine sports:
Alison Moore, who does both dressage and showjumping, vaulter Blossom Burton and carriage driver Peter Higgins.
THE most established para-equestrian sport is dressage, the first riding discipline to gain Paralympic status.
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