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By Cecilie Wendel,
photos Trine Meiningen
After losing his arms in a childhood
accident Cato Zahl Pedersen has
motivated and shown the world that
the impossible is possible. He has
skied to the South Pole, achieved 13
gold medals in summer and winter
Paralympics and climbed almost to
the top of Mount Everest.
This time the mount isn’t even 2
metres, and although “unarmed” his
aim is focused; Mr Pedersen is
Honorary President of The European
Para Equestrian Championships in
Kristiansand, Norway.
The event is an important milestone
and I hope this is the start of a
tradition where we lead the way on
integrating the disabled.
But without cooperation there
wouldn’t be any event explains the
Honorary President:
The willingness and cooperation from
several parties has made this event
possible. It’s almost like the
cooperation we see between horse and
rider. Seeing riders who need help
to eat, easily manage and
communicate with half a ton horse
makes one speechless.
The European Para Equestrian
Championship is only held every 4
years. Amongst the riders from 23
countries there are also
non-Europeans participating, as it
is an open event and a qualifier to
the Alltech FEI World Equestrian
Games in 2010. Between 20-23 August
82 riders with different
disabilities will be riding for
medals and glory on the south coast
of Norway.
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