Silver Reiterkreuz for Britta Bando

Warendorf/Frechen (DKThR/fn-press).
Britta Bando has been awarded the German Riders' Cross in Silver by the German Equestrian Federation (FN) in recognition of her outstanding services and promotion of equestrian and driving sports, as well as her services as team leader of the German para-dressage riders. The award was presented by Dr. Jan Holger Holtschmit, Chairman of the German Curatorship for Therapeutic Riding (DKThR) and Chairman of the Advisory Board Para-Equestrian of the German Olympic Committee for Equestrianism (DOKR).

Britta Bando, 66, from Hamburg, is stepping down after 13 years as head of the Para-Dressage team. The Paralympics in Tokyo at the end of August were her last championships in this function. Her track record as team leader is impressive: 62 medals were won by her riders at Paralympics, World and European Championships. 16 of them were gold, 22 silver and 24 bronze.

"Britta Bando's career as Chef d'Equipe began even before the 2008 Paralympics in Hong Kong," said Dr. Jan Holger Holtschmit at the presentation ceremony during the inclusive Para dressage tournament at the equestrian sports and riding therapy center of the Gold Kraemer Foundation in Frechen. "She is a horse woman through and through and successful as an active dressage rider up to advanced level. She passed her basic judge's test 31 years ago and continued to qualify over the years until she became a Grand Prix judge at the national level. Since 2006, Britta Bando has been listed with the FEI as an International Judge Para-Dressage, and since 2014 she has acted as FEI Steward for Dressage and Show Jumping and is also still Technical Delegate for Para-Equestrian. She is a member of the DOKR Advisory Board Para-Equestrian, which was founded in 2013, and will remain as Vice Chair of the Advisory Board after her active time as Equipechef of Para-Dressage. Britta Bando has been intensively involved and the honor is more than deserved."

DOKR Managing Director Dr. Dennis Peiler also paid tribute to the services of Britta Bando: "She has enriched and shaped the German Para-Dressage sport over the past years with her great commitment. With her expertise and experience, she contributed significantly to the medal successes of our riders. We are very grateful to her for this. Although we will miss her in the future as head of equipe, we are pleased that she will remain with para sport as a member of the DOKR Disciplinary Advisory Board."

Ina El Kobbia, Managing Director of the DKThR, added: "Over all these years, Britta Bando has worked tirelessly for the Para dressage riders with expertise and heart and soul as team boss; far beyond the tasks of the classic Chef d'Equipe. She is also a valuable and appreciated contact person for the DKThR federal office for all questions concerning para equestrian sport and the association. She will remain actively connected to the DKThR as a member of the Honorary Council."

Britta Bando remembers, "My first Paralympics as Chef d'Equipe were the 2008 Summer Games in Hong Kong. It was a wonderful moment for me to accompany Britta Näpel at my first major championship, when she had won the first gold medal in the individual championship for the all-German team. Then it started. In the following years, para-dressage sport has developed very successfully. In a moment of farewell, you also get very emotional there."

For more than 50 years, the DKThR has been the only association in the world to unite equine therapy and support as well as equestrian sport for people with disabilities from popular sport to top sport under its umbrella. It cooperates with the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) and Special Olympics Germany (SOD) and since 2013 has also been represented in the German Olympic Committee for Equestrian Sports (DOKR) through the Para-Equestrian Discipline Advisory Board. For more than 40 years now, the DKThR has also been an affiliated association of the German Equestrian Federation (FN).