Paralympian Lee Pearson to open £180,000 covered arena for Helen Atkin RDA Disabled Riders!
Multi-medal winning Paralympic dressage rider Sir Lee Pearson CBE notched up yet another award to add to his impressive tally when he visited Buxton to officially open a £180,000 covered arena for disabled riders.
For Staffordshire Moorlands-based Lee – a Paralympic Gold medallist on 14 occasions – was presented with a commemorative medal to mark the special event, watched by riders, volunteers, supporters and sponsors of Helen Atkin Group Buxton Riding for the Disabled (RDA) in the Helen Atkin Building* at Buxton Riding School, Fern Road on Saturday 23rd April 2022.
Lee - who has struck gold at Paralympic venues across the world and has won many other world and European titles - received the memento from proud rider Lindsay Green, who has represented Helen Atkin Group Buxton RDA and has triumphed in both regional and national RDA competitions in recent years. Lindsay and other riders from the Helen Atkin Group Buxton RDA, ranging from beginners to more advanced riders, were delighted to have the chance to show off their own equestrian skills to Lee, and to receive congratulations and commemorative medals acknowledging their achievement, from him.
“RDA is unbelievably important, and today’s event has been phenomenal – it’s fantastic to see how proud everyone involved in Helen Atkin Group Buxton RDA is of this fabulous arena, and how they are reaping the benefits of having such a beautiful and safe space in which to ride,” said Lee.
And they were even more excited to discover that Lee had brought along his own home-bred horse Styletta to treat them and invited guests in the 100-strong audience – including Christine Marbrow, Derbyshire County Chair RDA - to a stylish demonstration of the excellence and expertise that has helped him accomplish so much during his highly successful career.
Janine Frost, Chairman of Helen Atkin Group Buxton RDA, added: “We are extremely grateful to Lee for giving up his time to come and officially open our new covered arena, which has been up and running since last October and has transformed the way we run our riding sessions. “It was a great honour for some of our riders – ranging in age from primary school pupils to adults – to have the opportunity to show him how riding is helping to make a massive difference to their lives. They, our volunteers, riders, sponsors and supporters were even more delighted when he and Styletta presented a short demonstration illustrating exactly why he is one of the top riders in the world.”
Another special guest on the day was former Helen Atkin Group Buxton RDA’s previous Chairman Wendy Howe, who launched and masterminded the original fundraising appeal to build the new covered area to celebrate national RDA’s 50th anniversary in 2019 on the successful opening of £180,000 covered arena in Buxton:
“Thanks to the incredible support and encouragement we received from everyone we made it in the end. Riding for the Disabled has a motto ‘It’s what you CAN DO that counts – and you all made it count. I wish the group every success as it grows and hope it manages to keep the same friendly and welcoming ethos it has always had as it achieves new goals in the future.” - Wendy Howe.
