Blind dressage rider aiming for Rio 2016

A blind dressage rider is turning to ‘crowd funding’ to pay for her potential Paralympic horse.

Paralympic ambition

Verity Smith has ridden all her life and competed in showjumping until her mid-teens, when she lost her sight due to a rare genetic disorder. This was when she decided to take up dressage – and is now aiming for the Rio Paralympics in 2016.

Verity has already competed for Para Team GB as well as in able-bodied events, and was hoping to represent her country at London 2012. However she lost her competition horse to cancer, which meant she was unable to take part in the qualifying events.

The 40-year-old has now found a new horse called Szekit, which she thinks could get her to the next Games.

Crowd funding

“This horse is really, really special,” Verity told CNN. “He’s a really good guy and even the short time we’ve been together, I’ve really begun to trust him.”

In order to finance the purchase of the nine-year-old German gelding – and raise money for charity – Verity is holding a crowd funding campaign called Kingdom’s Horse.

Szekit will then be sold after the 2016 Games and the money raised through the crowd funding will be released and divided equally between Guide Dogs for the Blind and Riding for the Disabled.