PHOTOS: Children of fallen Peshmerga spend the day with horses in Erbil
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A group of children whose fathers, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, gave their lives in the war with the Islamic State (IS) got a chance to ride horses and ponies at the Kurdistan Region's largest horse club on Saturday.
"Wait, wait!" screamed a young teenage girl as the horse she'd just climbed on began to walk. A groom holding the reigns stopped and she sat for a moment, a helmet awkwardly fastened over her long, straight hair.
"Okay," she said, and was taken forward; still nervous and breathing quickly, but now smiling.
"We wanted to benefit the community, not just have a business," said Jina Avdal, a teacher at the Edwina Educational Centre in Erbil. "So, we started working with the martyr's kids and giving them free courses. We realized quickly that we had to connect with them too, not just offer courses, and give them something fun to do sometimes."
That's when Aveen Hawrami, Director of the American School of Kurdistan and regular at the Erbil International Equestrian Club decided to sponsor the day's event, which included a trip to a well-known local restaurant for lunch.
"They were planning to take the kids out for a nice day, so I suggested the horses."
One by one, they all got a chance to ride, see the stalls where the horses live, and also crowd around to play with Leo, a stable dog of sorts.
The Erbil International Equestrian Club first opened its doors for riding and jumping lessons in 2011 and is visited daily by riders of all levels, usually late into the evening.
The extensive stables are home to some 90 horses, and the indoor arena has hosted dozens of local and international jumping competitions. The Kurdistan Jockey Club started holding races at the track in March 2017.
