BLIND RIDER MATCHES IT WITH BEST AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

A LEGALLY blind, autistic man has claimed three medals for horse riding at the world championships years after he almost committed suicide.

Nathan Harvey, 32, who trains with the Gold Coast Club, last month won two gold medals for English equitation and dressage, and a bronze for equitation jumping at the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi.

Equitation jumping is similar to show jumping, with riders required to navigate a course of eight fences set at a maximum of 60cm in height.

But Mr Harvey, who can only see about a metre in front of him after two failed corneal implants, almost gave everything up after facing severe bullying within the sport itself.

His mother, Kim Harvey, said he had once broken down in the middle of a dressage test after spectators pulled faces at him.

“People within the power equestrian and open equestrian would say things, enough to make it uncomfortable,” she said.

“They would snigger right in front of his face … say that he belonged in a nut house.”

But as difficult as it was pushing through to the top, his mother credits the sport as the one thing that really brought out Nathan’s natural affinity with horses.

She said while he wouldn’t speak to people until he was nine years old, he was quickly talking to his four-legged friends.

Over the years, he improved so much that he won two national championships and placed in the top five at open events with able-bodied riders.

He also garnered scores of sponsorships, which have helped him to travel to events across the country.

His latest world championships achievement didn’t come easy, training seven days a week since August when he was chosen.

“I wanted to sleep in but he insisted on training every day,” Ms Harvey said.

His training included learning how to show jump on a horse simulator at Caboolture, before transferring his news skills on to his own horses four months out from the world championships.

Despite being blind, Nathan says he “feels” how the horse moves – and he counts how far his horse will need to move for each jump or action.

Special Olympics National Equestrian Coach Chris Nott, who took the athletes overseas, said Nathan was one of the most dedicated athletes she had met.

“He loves horses unconditionally,” she said.

“He was a brilliant athlete on tour, he was fantastic. He never doubted himself.”

Nathan’s next goals are working towards competing in the Sydney CDI, Australia’s premiere dressage event, alongside other ablebodied riders in September.