Sarah Dalton is pictured with Fran Scholey, CEO of Special Olympics NZ.

A smile is the most powerful gesture you can make as it is shared with the same meaning across cultures and societies.   One of the biggest smiles at the Special Olympics this weekend came from Sarah Dalton, a rider with CHARGE syndrome who thanked Christchurch RDA, the judges, the volunteers and of course the horses saying, “we REALLY couldn’t do it without you!” before congratulating the riders on a great job. 

Despite a genetic disorder that has affected multiple organs since birth, Sarah was one of forty equestrians from the Bay of Islands to Canterbury who took part on horses provided by the Christchurch Riding for the Disabled. 

Sarah is pictured with Fran Scholey, CEO of Special Olympics NZ who said the 2025 National Summer Games set a new benchmark, showcasing athletes in world-class facilities including Christchurch’s new Parakiore recreation and sports centre.

“The whole city got behind it, and from what we’ve seen in the media, the whole country did too,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud of the team who delivered the Games, the volunteers, and the media for giving our athletes the recognition they deserve.”

Scholey paid tribute to the nearly 1000 volunteers who supported the Games across transport, accommodation, venues and competitions, as well as the hundreds of health professionals who staffed the Healthy Athletes Programme.

“All 1200 athletes go through five screenings – eyesight, hearing, dental, footwear and general health,” says Scholey.

“It is a core aspect of each National Summer Games, because many of our athletes often don’t complain if they can’t see or not hear properly and we have handed out around 300 new glasses this week.”

Riding for the Disabled CEO Donna Kennedy said the Christchurch RDA had done an amazing job of hosting, an exceptional team.

“Their organisation and delivery has been a true reflection of RDA’s values and standards.”

President of Riding for the Disabled Cambridge Philippa (Pippa) Parker said hosting the equestrian for the Special Olympics National Summer Games had been an enormous lift for the volunteers and for the Christchurch community, and especially to have their RDA recognised as hosts. 

“It will be remembered for a long time and talked about during our sessions.  It gave everyone something to work towards, the event has opened up the world for our riders,” she said.

“Pride is a big part of RDA and it was amazing how the equestrian community showed up, including the loan of some very special horses for the event.”

ESNZ CEO Julian Bowden was delighted to see the equestrians taking part in the Special Olympics.

“It was fantastic to see the way the riders and the horses came together. The smiles on the faces reminded us of the power of the connection between horse and human. The athletes were truly inspirational.”

Fran Scholey added,

“The National Summer Games is about sport, but it’s also about friendships,” said Scholey. “Athletes look forward to seeing friends they made four years ago.”

See our previous story also:  https://www.nzequestrian.org.nz/2025/11/the-relay-torch-is-oh-so-special/