The Princess Royal is the President of the Riding for the Disabled, a National Charity, started in 1969, for riding horses and now carriage driving.
There are National and International Groups, one of the 500 groups in the UK is the Blackmore Vale RDA. The Blackmore Vale RDA often translate RDA as Riding Develops Ability or Riding for Different Abilities. They are situated in North Cheriton & are currently all crossing fingers, toes, & hooves that they are going to be able to start riding again soon. They have been closed for a year now, apart from a short while in the autumn when they were permitted to use a mechanical horse with a remote control & a family member helping the rider. They had one very special day when one rider was able to ride a live pony in the school & then……they were locked down again.
In the picture their flag bearer is National Hunt jockey Bryony Frost, who is a keen supporter of RDA and is hoping that they can reopen soon and have some fun days & show everyone what they CAN do this year.
They are an eclectic group of many volunteers & ponies who together can provide riding, be it on Bob & Florin, the mechanical horses or the real ponies Pod, Toby, Woody & Duke. They normally (whatever that means now!) ride on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday mornings but they can be flexible.
For more information please email blackmorevale.rda@gmail.com
