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Aurora, OH – Riders4Helmets, the helmet awareness campaign founded by Jeri Bryant and equine health product SUCCEED Digestive Conditioning Program, will be hosting a “by invitation only” Helmet Safety Symposium. The event will take place January 8, 2011, at the White Horse Tavern, Wellington, FL, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The symposium is sponsored by Troxel Helmets, Charles Owen Helmets, Tipperary Helmets and Samshield Helmets.

The Helmet Safety Symposium has been organized to bring together representatives from various corners of the equestrian world to discuss the importance of wearing helmets, rider safety and to improve helmet designs, rules and more. The event will provide a series of panel discussions throughout the day. Many in attendance will also sit on the panels, including leading equestrians, representatives from the helmet safety testing authorities, helmet manufacturers, equestrian organizations including USEF and the FEI, and neurosurgeons. The chair of the meeting will be Dr. Craig Ferrell, physician to the United States Equestrian Team.

“We are very excited to be part of the Riders4Helmets campaign and to see it continue to expand,” said Lyndsey White, representative from Freedom Health, LLC, makers of SUCCEED and co-manager of the Riders4Helmets campaign. “Since Courtney King Dye’s tragic accident earlier this year, awareness of the importance of helmet safety has grown to the point where we can now bring together different individuals, corporations and organizations all in one place to discuss the issues and, hopefully, being to change things for the better.”

Symposium panel topics will include the following: The Incidence of Head Injury in Equestrian Sport, Concussion and Brain Injury Mechanisms, History of Helmet Designs and Standards, History of Rules Related to Wearing Helmets, Helmet Design, Helmet Standards, and, Rules Regarding when Helmets Should be Required.

While attendance to the symposium is strictly by invitation only, a limited number of auditing places have been made available to interested equestrians at a cost of $75.00 per person. To sign up as an auditor for the symposium, please visit www.riders4helmets.com. The auditing fee includes a buffet luncheon and cocktail reception that will follow the symposium.

“I am looking forward to this important discussion and the growing awareness of head protection by USEF and FEI” said Dr. Richard Timms, Chairman of Troxel Helmets, one of the event’s sponsors. “USEF’s and FEI’s positions supply leadership examples to the remainder of the equestrian world. The history and evolving knowledge related to head injury and head protection supports our timely attention to the issue.”

“This is exactly what we need to engage the equestrian community with the important developments in the understanding of brain injury. We are excited to be part of this to make riding a safer sport,” said Roy Burek, Managing Director of Charles Owen.”

“We look forward to participating in the helmet safety symposium” said Julien Lecomte of Samshield Helmets. “Bringing together key individuals in the equestrian world and representatives of the various organizations will hopefully move everyone in the same direction with regards to rider safety.
“Tipperary Equestrian is looking forward to sharing ideas and collaborating with this professional group on a shared mission in keeping top athletes and beginners riding safe and having fun” said Leslie Newton of Phoenix Performance Products (Tipperary Helmets).”

Riders4Helmets was founded in early 2010 after Olympic dressage rider Courtney King Dye was seriously injured in a riding accident. King Dye, who remained in a coma for a month following her accident, was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and is currently undergoing rehabilitation. Jeri Bryant donated her helmet campaign t-shirts (featuring the slogan “Strap One On – Everyone’s Doing It”) to SUCCEED’s eBay store to raise funds for King Dye, and a partnership was formed, resulting in the Riders4Helmets campaign.

For more information on the Riders4Helmets campaign or the Helmet Safety Symposium, visit www.riders4helmets.com or contact Lyndsey White at lwhite@freedomhealthllc.com.

SUCCEED Digestive Conditioning Program is an official product sponsor of USEF, USDF and USEA. It is produced and distributed exclusively by Freedom Health, LLC, of Aurora, Ohio. The company is focused on finding, perfecting and delivering superior, innovative products that address real and significant health-related issues for animals and the people who care for them.