Helped by a brilliant sunny day, and cheered on by Park patrons, Parents and a coterie of VIPs, GallopNYC ‘s riders Rode with Pride on Fathers’ Day, June 19, 2011. Riders demonstrated the horsemanship skills they have learned riding with GallopNYC over the past year, and each rider was awarded a Blue Ribbon. Many proud poppas were delighted to see how well their children, all of whom have disabilities, could ride a horse.
The 2011 show was the 4th Annual Ride with Pride event for GallopNYC, and the 2nd one in Central Park. The event was supported by volunteers from Goldman Sachs’ Community Team Works, as well as about 40 loyal GallopNYC volunteers and all of GallopNYC’s instructors and staff. Fair Hill Farm and Jamaica Bay Riding Academy provided the horses. Georgina Bloomberg’s Riders’ Closet donated riding gear for the event. Generous GallopNYC donors sponsored the Blue Ribbons for the event.
Forty eight of GallopNYC’s 150 riders participated in the show. Riders ranged from five year old Oz, who showed his “jumping” skills and two year old Ibi (a hippotherapy rider) who showed his balance and adorable smiles, to a 34 year old adult with TBI who mounted independently. Young teen riders from ICD trotted while catching and throwing rings in dramatic end of show display of skills.
Several honorary judges graced the event, including Jill Gentile from the NY OPPWD, Mrs. Shelly Winfield from The Samuel Tilden Democratic Club, Ms. Patricia Ryan, Assistant Head of OT and Pediatrics, New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, and Mrs. Virginia Sloane from the Heckscher Foundation for Children.
The New York City Parks Department and the Central Park Conservancy kindly made this event possible.
About GallopNYC:
ADVERTISEMENT
GallopNYC uses horseback riding to bring joy and hope to children and adults with developmental, emotional, social and physical challenges. Therapeutic horseback riding has been shown to benefit the body, mind and soul, and GallopNYC brings those benefits to children and adults challenged by disabilities such as autism, visual and hearing impairments, ADHD, cerebral palsy and post-traumatic stress disorder. GallopNYC offers lessons to 150 riders each week in three NYC locations.
GallopNYC press:
GallopNYC in The Horse, an exhibit at the Museum of Natural History (see video entitled “Enduring Bond: Part Three”):
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/horse/?section=multimedia
Senator Adams’ web story on the event is at
ADVERTISEMENT
Profile of GallopNYC Board President Suzy Marquard on NY State Senator Eric Adams’ website:
http://www.nysenate.gov/blogs/2011/apr/05/constituent-spotlight-suzy-marquard
GallopNYC volunteers named NYer of the week by NY1: http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/120675/nyer-of-the-week–volunteers-help-disabled-riders-saddle-up
“Citizen of the Week – Alicia Kershaw” on NYC Council Member Brad Lander’s website:
http://bradlander.com/blog/2010/06/23/citizen-of-the-week-alicia-kershaw
CableVision Neighborhood Journal,
