Fifty thousand volts of electricity may have severed his right arm and left leg, but after Sunday's dressage performance, one thing was abundantly clear.

Joop Stokkel's zest and passion for life extends further than his physical handicap.

It suffuses his being.

Born in Holland in 1967, Mr. Stokkel was an adventurous seven-year-old who lost his arm and leg as he attempted to climb a fence at a local power station.

A concentrated electric surge shot through his body causing serious burns.

For a person with less valour, such an accident would have ended their desire to go on living.

But for Mr. Stokkel, this incident turned out to be just one of hundreds of obstacles he has successfully overcome.

Disabled rider shows his class at the 1994 Equefest On Saturday and yesterday at the 1994 Equefest at the Botanical Gardens, his display, aided by a softer Wintec saddle, sturdier than usual reins and flexible stirrups, demonstrated both confidence and competence.

He performed his grade three World Championship dressage test during the final segment of the Bermuda Riding for the Disabled Association's programme.

The other segments featured five riders from St. Brendan's Hospital and a Pas-de-deux Kur to music by Phyllis Harshaw and Kirsty Anderson.

Both women represented Bermuda at the recent World Dressage Championships for disabled riders held in the United Kingdom.

For her 21 years of loyal service to the disabled community, BRDA director Ms Linda Sousa received an award from Lady Swan.

Meanwhile Mr. Stokkel, whose scintillating 15-minute presentation was accompanied by a song called the Circle of Life from the Walt Disney film The Lion King, enjoyed a robust round of applause at the end of his exhibition.

Dressed in a black jacket and hat and white pants, Mr. Stokkel showed the audience how he climbed on to and off of his horse with no assistance.

His horse riding career began as a recreational escape in 1982, but after the 1990 World Games where riding was a demonstration sport, Mr. Stokkel participated in the World Championships in Denmark in 1991.

Although he competed on a "borrowed'' horse, he placed sixth.

More recently, he came tenth at the World Championships for disabled riders in England.

While horse riding is his passion, competitive swimming ranks a close second.

Mr. Stokkel started swimming as therapy to overcome his disability but he went on to become Dutch champion winning several gold medals at the World Championships in Sweden (1986), Seoul (1988) and Assen, Holland (1990).

He also set three Paralympics records, winning three gold and two silver medals in Barcelona during 1992.

"I want to show people that there is no need to sit at home in front of the television set if you happen to have a disability,'' he said after his performance.

"We can still do it. I cannot hide my disability as you can see. All you have to do is look at me.

"Swimming has developed my muscles considerably and it helps with my riding.

"This is my first trip to the Island, and I have really enjoyed myself. But it is important for Bermuda to get other sports like swimming, athletics and basketball for its disabled population in addition to riding.

"That would be a step in the right direction.''