Merrimac, MA - On Saturday, June 4, 2011, the Sons of the Wind School of Equestrian Arts will host its third annual Lusitano Festival. This year, the Pride of Portugal; The Lusitano, joins the 'Ride for Life.' This exciting event showcases the beautiful Lusitano horses and the highlights the amazing Portuguese culture, and will now also be helping to try and raise $50,000 for the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center. Each year during the 'Ride for Life,' Sons of the Wind demonstrates the quadrilles and athletic aires above the ground to the thousands in attendance for this worthwhile cause.

The Ride for Life is hosted by the Potomac Valley Dressage Association and will be held June 25-26, 2011, at the Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. Ride for Life is a premier dressage show and breast cancer benefit and all proceeds fund quality of life and breast cancer research at the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center.

As exhibitors at the PVDA Ride for Life, Sons of the Wind has chosen to use their annual festival as a fundraising event for this important cause. Sons of the Wind founder, Vitor Silva, and manager Julie Bottum have both experienced cancer within their families as well as met many students personally living with cancer. They believe in the important research being done by Johns Hopkins and provide the Lusitano horses and exhibitions as ambassadors of hope. These uniquely trained horses have helped many riders through difficult times and Silva hopes to showcase their special training and beauty.

During the Lusitano "Pride of Portugal, Rides for Life" Festival, visitors will experience Lusitano exhibitions, kids activities, music, and along with authentic Portuguese food and drink. The horse show starts at 2 p.m at Sons of the Wind Farm in Merrimac, MA.

The Lusitano was best known for its amazing athleticism as a loyal war horse, and then as a brave, bold mount in the bullring. Today, the modern Lusitano has found its way in to many disciplines including dressage. The Lusitano Horse Festival event will not only feature the magnificent Lusitano history, but Luistano school masters performing mounted presentations by the Riding School trainers and their students.

In addition, after the show, there will be farm tours for visitors, a presentation of their Lusitano breeding program and foals. While dressage enthusiasts will enjoy the more technical aspects of Lusitanos trained through the levels, everyone will enjoy sharing the upbeat displays of the Portuguese culture at one of the premier dressage teaching and training facilities in the United States.

About Sons of the Wind:

Sons of the Wind School of Equestrian Arts currently has locations in Merrimac, MA, and Palm City, FL. Founded by Portugal's Vitor Silva, Sons of the Wind and its affiliated schools were incepted in response to the need for an establishment capable of providing the rider the opportunity to experience and understand the correctness of all the movements of dressage. These establishments offer the training and schooling to horses and riders of different backgrounds and levels. Sons of the Wind is also a full service breeding facility for the talented Lusitano breed as it is very important for the growth of the school to keep training horses that could be great mounts and prospects for lessons and for sale.

For more information about Sons of the Wind School of Equestrian Arts please visit www.sonsofthewindfarm.com.

For more information and PVDA's Ride for Life please visit http://www.pvdarideforlife.org/.