Ban on blind riders angers horseman

Press, 14 August 1989, Page 1

Ban on blind riders angers horseman

By

TOM METCALFE

A North Canterbury man who has been riding horses for about 20 years has found he cannot ride in Western-style competitions — because he is blind. Mr Ray Morris, of Amberley, has been riding horses since childhood, and now works as a saddlemaker. He went blind about nine years ago as a result of being diabetic. Three years ago he joined the Christchurch Western Riding Club, and last year took part in a competition held by the club. In June this year the New Zealand Western Riding Federation, the governing body for western riding clubs, banned

blind people from its approved competitions. Blind peoplee such as Mr Morris can still take part in their local club events but cannot compete at events open to competitors throughout the country. The federation’s president, Mr Alister Caley, said last evening that the ban on blind riders was introduced for safety. Blind riders would not be able to adequately control their horses if something went wrong at competitions, where there could be between 15 and 20 horses in an arena at the same time, he said.

But Mr Morris feels he could manage.

“I may be blind but my horse

isn’t going to go and break its neck,” he said last evening. Blindness imposed some limitations on riders, but they should be allowed to compete as long as they stayed within the rules.

The federation is concerned that blind riders would need help to compete in most western riding events and that having help would debase the competition.

But Mr Morris said he could compete in some events, such as “Western Pleasure” riding, without help. In that event groups of riders in an arena put their horses through different moves at the direction of judges over a loudspeaker.