Charity
Social responsibility takes a high priority at Horses & Dreams. For many years the event has been supporting projects that provide financial assistance to people in need. The annual auction of the “Red Horse” has supported several charities and enabled many people to live better lives. Celebrities from TV, media, politics and business also support the cause every year.
Not-for-profit organisations from the respective partner countries are not overlooked either, the collection from the ecumenical service is traditionally donated to a project in that country.
Riding against Hunger
“Riding against Hunger” is an initiative of Gudrun Bauer, the Bauer Media Group and Ullrich Kasselmann, Performance Sales International, which was launched in 2012. The auction of the “Red Horse” and other fundraising campaigns are used under the title “Riding against Hunger” to fight against hunger in the world.
Dr. Ursula von der Leyen is the patron of the initiative. Herself an enthusiastic rider she has been friends with the Kasselmann family and a supporter of Horses & Dreams for many years.
Here you can find more information about the charity “Riding against Hunger”.
Riders step up
The German dressage riders also got involved at Horses & Dreams meets Austria 2017 and collected donations for their project for the benefit of small farmers and herders in Ethiopia during the gala evening at Horses & Dreams. In cooperation with Welthungerhilfe and Pikeur/Eskadron, a charity fan shopping was also launched, in which brand ambassadors sold signed squad T-shirts for a good cause.
Other Activities
Art for a good cause
The “Easy Panic Rider”, a plastic horse specially designed by singer Udo Lindenberg, was auctioned at Horses & Dreams meets Australia in 2015 to benefit “Riding against Hunger”. The unique artwork brought a total of €180,000.
LEGO
Auctioneer Uwe Heckmann and Dr. Ursula von der Leyen auctioned off a life-sized LEGO horse consisting of more than 200,000 blocks at Horses & Dreams meets Denmark, which resulted in €150,000 for “Riding against Hunger”.
Signing autographs
Showjumper Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum signing autographs at the World Hunger Aid stand at Horses & Dreams. Everyone can help, every donation counts.
Visiting the place in need
Gudrun Bauer and Ulli Kasselmann visited Uganda in 2018 to see which projects are benefiting from the fundraising efforts. The project “HALISK” (Hope in Agriculture and Life Skilly Development in Kabarole) is supported here.
Stronger together
Sergey Maslov (President of the Russian Equestrian Federation) and Ulli Kasselmann with the traditional red plastic horse that brought €44,000 for “Riding against Hunger” at Horses & Dreams meets Russia.
Auction for a good cause
The charity aspect played a part at the first Horses & Dreams Online Auction: The horse, Tu le Merite (Totilas x Sarkozy) was auctioned in 2018 to support “A Heart for Children”, the Charity Campaign of the BILD Newspaper. The Hanoverian gelding brought €130,500.