| Ray Everitt and his faithful white
Camargue pony Black (known to his English friends as Dobbin) set off
on a musical journey to raise money for autistic people. In the end,
together they raised just over 6,000 euros.
On May 4 2002, Ray left the tiny village of Gabian
in the South of France, where he has made his home for more than 25
years, and to ride the 1,000 km to Berne in Switzerland.
He plans several fundraising
musical evenings along the way, with guest musicians, and there will
be a grand finale concert in Berne. The object of the exercise is both
to raise money and to make people more aware of autism in France. The
idea first arose when Ray saw a performance by Buffo the clown, otherwise
known as clinical psychologist Howard Buten, who is himself involved
in the care of autistic children and young people in Paris.
Ray, who celebrated his 60th birthday in January 2002, explains: "It's
my last big adventure. Soon I'll be getting past it, and so will Black.
It's always been a dream of mine, setting out alone on a journey, on
horseback, and making music along the way. But I don't want to do it
just for me."
Although Ray will be making the ride solo, a neighbour
with a Land Rover has agreed to stand by as back-up in case of emergencies,
and to bring 'Dobbin' home again at the end of the adventure. |
