MORE than 80 people took part in a charity horse ride last Sunday in aid of a Tavistock child's autism treatment. Horse riders started and finished at the East Dart Hotel in Postbridge — meeting halfway at the Dartmoor Inn, Merrivale for refreshments and medals which were presented by West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox. This event was to help raise awareness of the Son-Rise Programme of America, a treatment Paul Lewis, 5, has been using for two years. Paul is autistic, which means he has problems communicating and relating to the world around him. But since starting the programme he has gone from being mute to having a wide vocabulary. The total raised so far from the event is £1,250 which includes the £470 raised from the auction. One of the prizes from the auction was donated by Mick Channon, racehorse trainer and former England footballer. It was an invitation to visit his stables and watch the horses train on the gallops around the yard and have breakfast with him. This prize went to a family in Buckinghamshire who also have an autistic child. Allen Lewis, Paul's father, said: 'To see 85 horsemen and women ride into Merrivale for our son was a wonderful sight. 'We are all so proud of these people, some of whom we have never met. 'We now feel with BBC's Spotlight's viewing of our Son-Rise Programme working last week and the impact of the horse ride, we have put this therapy on the map.'
