Silent Auction Raises $3,000 for Horses For Heroes

Here’s a post-event update on the Silent Auction held to benefit NARHA’s Horses for Heroes program. This was supported by several prominent dressage riders such as Luis Denizard and Courtney King. The benefit raised $3,000 for Horses for Heroes. Read more about the Horses For Heroes, it’s star supporters, and the events.

The New England dressage community showed their patriotism at the Mystic Valley Fall Dressage Show and Northeast Regional Adult Amateur Championships (NRADC) in October by supporting a silent auction to benefit NARHA’s Horses for Heroes program (NH4H). The auction raised more than $3,000 for the charity, which provides equine-enabled therapies to wounded U.S. soldiers and veterans.

The auction was held on the show grounds at Mystic Valley Hunt club, which was also hosting the Mystic Fall Dressage Show and the NRADC. Despite strong winds and cold, the bidders showed their intrepid New England spirit and opened their wallets for this cause.

NEDA member Lou Denizard rallied support for the auction because he believes in the organization and the power that horses have to change lives. “I am disappointed that I could not personally attend the auction. Although the weather was not conducive to a larger turnout for the show and auction, I am extremely grateful that those who did attend supported NH4H.” Denizard thanks all the volunteers who gave their time to run the auction, and everyone who donated items and services – small and large – because they helped raise a significant amount of money for NH4H. 100% of the proceeds from the auction went to the charity.

In addition to raising money to support NARHA’s efforts with the fledgling Horse for Heroes program, the auction also brought attention to this cause, which NARHA hopes will help with future fundraising efforts.

Paul A. Spiers, Ph.D, chairman of the NH4H program and former NARHA president, made the following comments on the event, “The equestrian community has been very supportive of the NH4H program. The NRADC group at Mystic Valley, however, went above and beyond, just as our veterans have, and made their support real and very tangible. The unsolicited donation of the proceeds from their silent auction to NH4H was a wonderful gesture, one that honors our injured soldiers. The NRADC equestrians are leading the way in showing how grass roots support can be developed for NH4H.  These funds will go directly to helping coordinate our program nationally, to expand the program’s outreach to our deserving war wounded, whether that wound be physical or psychological, and will help us begin to insure that all veterans who want and need equine assisted therapies, will receive them. I only hope others can be inspired by this group’s generosity.”

More than 50 items or services were donated to the auction, including lessons from prominent instructors and trainers, luxury seat tickets to the Boston Bruins, a $500 trailer service from Yered Trailers, $250 gift certificate to Mistover Farms, and a trip for one horse from New England to Florida from Phil Silva’s Equine Valet Service, valued between $1100 and $1500.