I have been extremely fortunate to have been selected to go on this trip to aid my on-going recovery from a long and serious illness that resulted in my medical discharge from the Royal Air Force after a 30-year career. So for me, this trip is not only to aid that recovery but more importantly to help raise awareness of the need to support our wounded, ill and long-term sick serving and veteran military personnel and the funding required to support that. Help for Heroes and Polo for Heroes have been instrumental in my recovery pathway and the following sections explain the aims of Polo for Heroes in more detail...

Polo for Heroes is a not for profit organisation who raise funds to help injured Service personnel. Their annual Polo fund raiser at Fifield Polo Club has helped fund various activities, challenging the lives of many injured Service personnel. They use the challenge of learning to ride and play polo to over come any disability and provide achievement against the injuries suffered while serving in our military.

This year the team is taking the bold step to take this further by using the healing power of horses and hard riding, to push injured personnel deep into their reserves as they battle their injury against achieving success across the arduous terrain of India.

Working with horses has been shown to have therapeutic healing powers across a range of issues including, psychological trauma and Alzheimers.

Riding and bonding with the tough, brave and beautiful Marwari horse, during this experience will help contribute towards both physical and mental recovery and the sense of overcoming adversity.

This band of Injured Service riders will be 'buddied' up with Full paying able bodied riders as they overcome this arduous ride across India. All able riders will be paying their own way so all funds go towards supporting the injured Service personnel.