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[RC] Special Needs Willpower Horse Race!! - Steph Teeter

Fantastic!! I'll post photos and a story later (almost time for dinner) but we just got back from the most incredible Endurance 'ride' I've ever seen. Under the patronage of HH Shk Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (he's mostly responsible for Al Wathba stables and the Emirates International Endurance Village in Abu Dhabi) the first Endurance Ride for 'Special Needs' people was held.

5 kilometers - they left the starting gate at the EIEV where the Presidents Cup riders start - went 2.5 kilometers up the track, and turned around and came back. It was incredible!! Those priceless horses (mostly retired Endurance horses) trotting, a few at a slow canter, somehow horses know when there are 'innocent' souls on their back. There was one problem with a riders keeping his seat, he sort of bailed and his horse ran off - but there were plenty of people to help him, no one was in danger - it was extremely well monitored, and as they got closer to the finish the front runners really started grinning and the horses picked up a speed, much to the dismay of the coaches and crews - but I can't remember seeing such grins before as they had when they crossed the finish line. Shk Monsour walked across the finish line with the last place rider - the turtle - a 'special needs' girl. Very cool, very moving. It really lifted my spirits (after all the grim talk on Ridecamp) and really touched my heart. There are some things about these people - this culture - that I absolutely love.

more later -

Steph

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