A website has been launched to encourage riders to wear helmets.   It was created by SUCCEED®, which produces an innovative equine digestive health supplement, and Jeri Bryant, who is a marketing professional and equestrian.  

The purpose of Riders4Helmets© is to educate those who participate in all equestrian activities on the basic facts of wearing a helmet, to promote the helmet wearing campaign on a national level by involving leading equestrians in various disciplines who encourage an increased use of helmets, and to provide important links/resources to enable riders to become further educated on the importance of wearing a helmet.

Riders4helmets© is a joint campaign founded by Jeri Bryant and SUCCEED® Digestive Conditioning Program®. SUCCEED® is a long-time sponsor of US Olympic Dressage rider Courtney King-Dye who suffered a serious head injury in March 2010 and remained in a coma for a month following the accident. Courtney was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.  She is currently undergoing rehabilitation.

SUCCEED® started an eBay store to help fund Courtney’s medical expenses  and that led to the connection with Jeri Bryant who donated her “Strap One On – Everyone’s Doing It” helmet campaign T-shirts to the store. 

“I wanted to not only help Courtney but also raise awareness of the importance of wearing a helmet while riding” said Bryant. The decision was made to launch the Riders4Helmets© campaign after consulting with various leading equestrians on the matter. SUCCEED® is  leveraging their brand name in order to gain reach across the US. 

Riders can learn a lot more facts and figures about sports and traumatic brain injury.   Equally important, they can learn how to avoid or lessen the impact of accidental head injuries by wearing a helmet.  There are blog reports by leading equestrians, doctors, helmet manufacturers and national equestrian organizations which are all helping to promote the benefits of wearing protective headgear.  

The riders4helmets campaign has already received the official endorsement of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), United States Eventing Association (USEA), United States Dressage Federation (USDF), American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA), Equestrian Aid Foundation (EAF) as well as leading equestrians such as: Olympic Silver Medalist Gina Miles; veteran eventers Allison Springer, Hawley Bennett-Awad, Cathy Weischhoff and Lucinda Green; Eclipse Award Winning Jockey Frank Lovato, Jr; and dressage rider and trainer Ilse Schwarz. In addition, Charles Owen, Troxel Helmets and GPA Helmets have also pledged their support.

To learn more about the campaign, visit Riders4Helmets.com.  

To find out more about SUCCEED®, visit their website.