Brain Injury Awareness Week 2005 (September 18th-24th) is devoted to the 250,000 Australians who regularly ride horses - whether they're jockeys or jack-or-jilleroos, pony club or rodeo riders.

Every year, around 3,000 of them fall off and into hospital. And their most frequent - and most serious - injury will be a brain injury. Girls aged between ten and fourteen are at the greatest risk - they accounted for 75 of the 489 hospital admissions for equestrian-related brain injury in 2002-03.

Brain Injury Awareness Week 2005 will be launched at noon on Sunday 18th September at a gymkhana at the Northside Riding Club, Princess Anne Arena, St. Ives Showground, Mona Vale Road, St. Ives.

The press conference will feature: Paul Davenport, the Vice-President of the Australian Horse Industry Council and President of The Association for Horsemanship, Safety and Education; Robbie Horne, a horse trainer with 40 years' experience working with the likes of legendary "Man Who Listens to Horses", American Monty Roberts and trainer Gai Waterhouse; experienced horsewoman Jacqueline Thompson, who suffered a very severe brain injury from a fall in 2002; Rachel Higgins, the then 13 year-old rider who saved her life and Nick Rushworth, the President of the Brain Injury Association of New South Wales.

Brain Injury Awareness Week 2005 will promote the joy of horse-riding alongside recognition of its risks. Even for very young riders, helmet-wearing is not as universal as it should be. And for their parents, the Week serves as a reminder that buying a horse is not like buying a car: horses have minds of their own, and the appropriate equipment and training is vital for rider safety.

For more information, contact Rebekah Christofis at the Brain Injury Association of NSW on (02) 9749 5366,1-800-802 840 or Nick Rushworth, President on (0412) 535 921.

To view the gymkhana program click here