A GROUP of friends are promoting a campaign that is helping a Dursley rugby player recover from a tragic accident by forming a dressage team to take part in a new national competition.

Leanne Webber, Catharine Watkins, Frankie Malecki, Jess Parsons and Laura Nelmes have entered the British Dressage Team Quest event and will wear t-shirts to show their support for Rob Camm, who was left paralysed after being involved in a tragic road accident last September.

The quintet, who have called themselves Nice Asses, all have horses at Burrows Court Farm in North Nibley and they decided to raise awareness of the campaign to help Rob cope with tetraplegia as his father, Ian, is their vet.

Team Quest gives riders of all levels the chance to compete in dressage competitions up and down the country with the top 15 teams at the end of the season competing at the finals.

“Inspired by Rob’s ambitions for the future, the team felt that this was a good way to help promote Cammpaign4Rob,” said 18-year-old team rider Parsons.

“We want to help with giving Rob the best opportunity to make a full recovery and carry on enjoying life.

“With a normal dressage competition you wear an outfit, but in this one you can wear what you want and we have got team t-shirts that say Cammpaign4Rob on them.”

Nice Asses came second in their first competition at Burrows Court Farm in the Open category, which is for riders of any age, with the points gained contributing to their final total.

“We’re not doing it to win the Championship,” said Parsons, who competed in the Young British Dressage Scheme for Gloucestershire last year.

“It isn’t our main aim. We’re doing it for a bit of fun but it would be amazing if we did.”

Kingswood-based Malecki and Saratoga NJ had a brilliant test in their first competition, giving the team a starting score of 66 per cent.

Cromhall-based Watkins and Cool Kitten had a perfect test, giving a score of 72 per cent and winning the class, which took the pressure off Almondsbury-based team manager Webber and Ollijay, who scored 70 per cent.

Despite learning the wrong test, Nelmes, also from Almondsbury, and Landmark Bryan got a brilliant score of 70 per cent.

The team have set up a facebook page called dressage4rob that has a link, where people can donate money: http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/dressage4rob/152058