Where it all began
The Associação de Equitação Adaptada Barlavento / Riding for the Disabled Barlavento (RDB) is situated in the West of the Algarve, Portugal and was created at the beginning of 2007 to promote the aims of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA).
Rod Frew (President of the General Assembly) & Jinny Harman of Quinta Paraíso Alto (Secretary) came up with the idea of ‘Ride the Algarve Way’ to raise money to set up a Riding for the Disabled Association in the Algarve.
From May 13th-19th 2007, a group of horse riders traversed the Algarve, Portugal, from Alcoutim to Cape St Vincent, covering 240km in 6 days. This route, known as The Algarve Way/Via Algarviana, was used in mediaeval times by pilgrims paying homage to the martyred St Vincent then enshrined at the Cape now named after him.
Rod & Jinny met with every Câmara along the Algarve to plan the routes to take, to sort accommodation for the riders and horses and Jinny organised food & drink for all participants.
A total of 20 horses and riders entered the ride, raising a grand sum of €35.000,00. The money raised was divided between two charities; the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) Association and Riding for the Disabled, and was used to set up RDB officially.
Riding for the Disabled Barlavento is registered under NIPC 508 994 209.
