Students from Fung Kai Liu Man Shek Tong Secondary School, Sheung Shui, get the feel of a horse ridden by British paralympic equestrian gold medallist Debbie Criddle at Tuen Mun Public Riding School, watched by Lee Pearson, also an award winner.
The pair were in Hong Kong this week at the invitation of the British Council in support of the Riding for the Disabled Association's second Asia Pacific Conference, held at the riding school and Gold Coast Hotel. They demonstrated their riding skills and showed students from a number of schools how they had overcome their physical disabilities.
Criddle, who lost her right arm in a motorcycle accident in 1985, won the individual freestyle and team gold at the 2002 European championships, 2003 world championships and 2005 Athens paralympics. 'Horses listen to the rider and we communicate through feeling,' she said.
Pearson, who was born with a muscle-wasting disease, has won six paralympic games dressage gold medals and five world championships. 'Because my legs were born crossing each other I couldn't ride a bicycle so my mum got me a donkey,' he said.