Wakefield Riding for the Disabled Association

October Dressage Event

Our next Dressage Event is on Sunday 21st October
The tests are WRDA 1 (walk-trot), P4, P13 and N21.
Prizes and rosettes to 6th place, entry fee £8 per class,
closing date is 17th October,
ring for times between 6pm and 9pm on Friday 19th October.
It's a friendly competition so come and have a go!
Phone 01924 241341 for details.

Bramble to go under the Knife!

Bramble is booked in at Ledston Equine Clinic in Castleford on Thursday 20th September to have an operation on his hoof. He's had a recurring abscess for over a year now and it just won't go away! The treatment requires him to be sedated whilst part of his hoof wall is removed, then a small tumour removed.
The vet Jo Upex said "It's a very bloody procedure but we are expecting positive results".


We are very grateful to riders and volunteers who have fundraised and made donations towards Bramble's care over the past year, more fundraising events are planned to cover the cost of the operation and aftercare.

Saturday Morning Pony Club

Six children are enjoying our brand new Pony Club session on Saturday mornings during August, September and October thanks to a grant from Local Network Fund. The children will attend for 15 weeks and are
learning how to care for their ponies as well as riding every week.

 

 

 

 

 

RDA National Championships 2007

Well Done Ross, Jeanette and Debbie.

Here are their results from Hartpury. Debbie 4th place in Dressage and 4th place in Dressage to Music. Jeanette came 4th in Countryside Challenge and 2nd in her Dressage walk trot class. Ross came 6th in his Countryside Challenge and 3rd in his dressage walk trot test. Sarah, Debbie and Penny won the tack and turnout class and Donna, Jeanette and Bramble came 5th in the tack and turnout.

Thankyou to all the instructors and volunteers who helped the riders on a very wet day.

 

RDA National Championships

Good Luck to our Wakefield RDA competitors Jeanette Scales, Debbie Lee and Ross Taylor, who qualified at the Regionals to compete at the Championships at Hartpury College, Gloucestershire this weekend. Debbie will enter a dressage and dressage to music class, Jeanette and Ross will ride the Countryside Challenge and a dressage class. A dedicated team of instructors and volunteers will help the riders at the event, with our RDA horses Bramble and Penny making a return visit this year.

Variety Club Children's Charity

The Yorkshire Region of the Variety Club Children’s Charity has supplied Wakefield Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) with a grant and assistance to purchase tack and equipment for horse riding and games.

Yard Manager, Carol Blake explained: “Riding the horses encourages confidence, improves self esteem, promotes health and is great fun. We will be using the tack (a mixture of English and Western saddles) on Rowan, a pony that we recently purchased with the help of a local engineering company, Joseph Rhodes. The new games equipment which includes coloured rings, soft bean bags and gymkhana flags and cones are brilliant as games sessions help to improve the children’s mobility and co-ordination.”

Len Cohen, a member of the Variety Club Yorkshire committee, said: “Visiting the RDA stables and seeing how much enjoyment and stimulation the youngsters get from riding is very rewarding. We received excellent support from Jim and Lesley Wilkinson-Lyner who run Birkenshaw based Hooves Equestrian and provided the tack and took a real interest in the project.”

To find out more about the work of the Variety Club visit www.varietyclub.org.uk/yorkshire

Christmas Crackers

Thank you Adele and Chico, Ashley and Maisey, Megan and Star, Darcy, Dean and Veronica. They spent Christmas Eve collecting for Wakefield RDA around Normanton and Altofts. Children were delighted to see the ponies and riders in fancy dress and many said it really got them in the Christmas mood. The festive group raised £70.

 

New Pony

Rowan the New Forest Pony has started to work with disabled riders at Wakefield RDA this week. He joined us in October and has been undergoing training to prepare him for riding lessons. He has a lovely gentle nature and is calm and steady; ideal for RDA work. At 13.2hh he is our smallest pony so will carry the younger/lighter riders, including the children riding for therapy.

Rowan was bought for us by employees of Joseph Rhodes Engineering in Wakefield, who fundraised £1000 by holding an onion growing competition and a raffle. We are very grateful to Joseph Rhodes for their support as we could not have bought Rowan without their help.