The City of Los Angeles has selected Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship to spearhead its youth adaptive programming for equestrians in anticipation of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
The three-year contract will invest in equestrian youth with disabilities across the City. Programs will involve quarterly rider development clinics at city-owned equestrian facilities, continuous training at Ride On’s Chatsworth facility, and marketing and outreach efforts at recreation centers.
Each year the program will culminate at the Ride On-managed CALNET Show for Riders with Disabilities held each May at the LA Equestrian Center in Burbank. This show will feature Para-Equestrian athletes in demonstrations, clinics and competition over three days.
CALNET Coming May 20-22
This year’s CALNET show is Saturday & Sunday May 21-22, with a celebratory and educational kick off event Friday, May 20. It starts at 5 p.m. at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.
Ride On is a 28-year-old nonprofit which serves over 250 individuals with disabilities each week. It provides adaptive riding, physical therapy, and psychotherapy programs for veterans at its three facilities in Chatsworth and Thousand Oaks CA.
Ride On is a US Equestrian Federation Center of Excellence for Para-Equestrian Dressage, one of the first in the country. Ride On managed the Special Olympics World Games Equestrian Competition in 2015.
“When we heard LA had secured the Olympic and Paralympic Games some years ago, we put together plans to expand our adaptive riding program to traditionally underserved communities across the city” said Ride On CEO Bryan McQueeney, “we were thrilled when LA2028 and the City developed the Play LA Youth and Adaptive Sports program giving us a unique opportunity to support this groundbreaking initiative.”
The 2028 Olympic Games Organizing Committee, LA2028, committed to provide $160 million to support youth sports programming and significantly increase access to sports. The youth sports program is structured to overcome barriers to participation, including gender equity and to increase access and opportunity for all young people particularly the economically disadvantaged and physical impaired.
LA2028 and the Department of Recreation and Parks created the Play LA Youth and Adaptive Sports Initiative specifically to support programming for the disabled community. “This is the first time the city has ventured into equestrian programming like this.” said Laura Island, Principal Recreation Supervisor of the Citywide Adaptive Recreation Division. “Ride On has an impeccable reputation and we are fortunate to have such an experienced and respected partner to help us develop this program.”
For more information on Ride On Therapeutic Riding, visit Ride On.
Featured photo is 16-year-old Genevieve Rohner, who counts Ride On as critical to her already remarkable para dressage path.