It was a double winner. A whinny to horse crazy fans in Wellington and a fundraiser for special equestrians.
On Friday, March 18, Give Back for Special Equestrians, a Florida non-profit 501C3 that provides therapeutic horseback riding scholarships for disabled children and veterans, saddled up with critically acclaimed author Sarah Maslin Nir for a book talk and polo charity match at the Wanderers Club.
The Horse Crazy event kicked off the evening with a conversation with Nir, a New York Times reporter, critically acclaimed author, and avid equestrian who shared excerpts from her headline-making autobiography, Horse Crazy, which takes a high-spirited gallop into the reasons why so many people are horse-obsessed and how ponies and horses have the unique ability to transform the lives of those with disabilities through equine therapy. Nir introduced Rhonda Fritzshall, Palm Beach County’s Executive Director of the HERD Foundation, which is changing the lives of disabled veterans through horsepower that heals.
Following the book talk was the Wanderer Club’s time-honored Polo tradition. Teams Rolls-Royce and Compass/The Batchelor Team faced off on the polo field before the Club’s signature Lobstermania dinner. Team Rolls-Royce was victorious with 5 goals to 4.
With the ongoing support of Compass, The Batchelor Team, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Unity Jets, and Camper & Nicholsons, the Horse Crazy event benefited Give Back for Special Equestrians and their West Palm Beach stable partner, HERD Foundation, a non-profit 501C3 organization dedicated to providing equine-assisted pscyhotherapy and equine assisted learning to help those who are dealing with mental health issues and are often treated with traditional counseling practices with a focus more toward education and skill enhancement.
“We are grateful to Sarah for utilizing her time and talent and to Unity Jets, Compass, Camper & Nicholsons and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for helping us raise critical funds for the important work being done by the HERD Foundation. We also want to extend a special thanks to the Wanderers Club,” said Sissy DeMaria-Koehne, Co-Founder of Give Back for Special Equestrians.
Founded in 2013 by DeMaria-Koehne, Dr. Heather Kuhl, and Isabel Ernst, Give Back for Special Equestrians is an all-volunteer non-profit that provides therapeutic horseback riding scholarships for disabled children and veterans in Florida who are facing physical, mental and emotional challenges and has raised over $150k in support of special needs riders since its inception. The organization believes in horsepower that heals and raises funds for horseback riding scholarships for children facing some of life’s most difficult challenges like Autism, Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, paralysis, and post-traumatic stress disorder. They do this through corporate sponsors, generous donors, and fundraising events.
For more information on Give Back for Special Equestrians visit givebackeq.com.