We are off to the Nationals

The Nationals Championships are taking place 13th -16th July. We have six riders taking part and are taking five of our horses and preparations are well under way. Good luck to everybody taking part and thank you to all our volunteers who have helped to get our riders and horses this far.

You can follow our progress on Facebook and Instagram by clicking the link at the top of the page.

  • We are very lucky to have a dedicated and experienced group of coaches who have supported and coached our riders to qualify for the National Championships. We also have a hard working band of volunteers who help with all the preparations and support over the weekend. Without these we would not be able to take part in this great event.

  • Baloo, Bertie, Caellyn, Saxon and Tuck are all taking part. Poor Dolly, our little one is staying behind and will be missing Tuck. Last year Saxon won Horse of the Year, so that is a tough act to follow but we know they won’t let us down and will do an amazing job in helping our riders to do their best.

  • We could not be more proud of our riders taking part this year. Their enthusiasm and enjoyment in qualifying is contagious. It is such a pleasure to support them all in over coming their disabilities to get this far. We wish you all the very best of luck . We are proud to stand with you and be part of this amazing adventure. Good luck everyone.

Summer Outing Monday 24th July 10:30

This is a free trip for all those involved with Saxon Group RDA.

We are having a private cinema screening of a very special film. It is called “My Everest” and it is about a previous RDA rider with cerebral palsy who was the first person to ride to Everest base camp on horseback.

The screening is at the Pound Art Centre in Corsham and we have exclusive use of the auditorium, so it will only be Saxon Group RDA attending. The film starts at 10:30 (12 rating). There is some parking at the centre and lots of accessible space in the auditorium for wheelchairs and walkers.

There is no cost for the trip as the group are covering the film showing, but please do bring your own food and drink as we will be having a picnic afterwards in Corsham Court parkland nearby.

For more information on the Pound Art Centre please click below.

Homepage - PoundArts

or My Everest (2023) - IMDb to watch a trailer for the film.

Join us to mark his

Majesty the King’s Coronation

with a Tea Party at Widbrook

or come and meet some of our volunteers

at our stall in Westbury Gardens.

Congratulations Anne on your Coronation Champion Award for 2023

Congratulations Anne on your Coronation Champion Award for 2023

Huge congratulations to Anne who has been named as a Coronation Champion for 2023 by the Royal Voluntary Service. Anne was one of 500 extraordinary people nationally who volunteer to make their communities better places, and we are so proud that Anne’s hard work at Saxon RDA on proficiency, ASDAN and Tea with a Pony has been recognised in such a special way. I am sure you will agree that Anne’s amazing resources and selfish dedication to our proficiency participants has impacted so positively on the lives of so many within our group, we couldn’t be more proud of what Anne achieves, Thank you Anne from everyone at Saxon RDA.

you can read more about the awards at https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/volunteering/coronation-champions-awards/

Introducing Tuck 

We are very excited about our latest addition to our Group. He is called Tuck, and despite being 16.1 hh he is very gentle and has settled in very easily. He loved meeting some of our riders and volunteers when he arrived during one of our sessions on Monday and was not phased at all with all the attention.

Look out for updates on his progress on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Chris receives Nationals Plaque

Chris on Baloo proudly showing his Nationals Plaque in recognition for qualifying for the 2km Endurance task.

MP writes Thank You to Nicky

MP writes Thank You to Nicky

On 30th September we launched our Tea with a Pony, and our lovely rider Nicky volunteered to show a typical riding session on her favourite horse Saxon. Michelle Donelan MP was one of our many quests and later wrote to Nicky to thank her and congratulate her on all her achievements.

Congratulations to Kady

Not only has Kady won the Riding for the Disabled Association Coach of the Year Award but we have just heard that Kady is a finalist for the UK Coaching Awards in the Community Coach of the Year for Children and Young People category.

We are very proud of you and lucky to have you as our Chair.

Good Luck Summer

Good Luck to Summer and Bertie competing at Hartpury today in the RDA Grade 7 Championship

We have been awarded £10,00o in National Lottery Funding

Jo Rutherford, Trustee and Coach said, “We are celebrating our 40th birthday this year, so to be awarded this funding is especially exciting. Buying another horse will mean being able to expand the number of riders the charity can reach as the group and its equine-assisted therapy services continue to grow in popularity”.

National Volunteers Week

1st -7th June 2022

According to the Volunteering and Charitable Giving - Community Life Survey 2020-2021, over 23 million people in the UK carry out some form of volunteering, either formally or informally. The main reason given for volunteering is to help people in their local community.

Please join us in thanking our wonderful volunteers at Saxon Group RDA.

Up date on Stanley

We are very sorry to announce that we have had to make the decision to sell Stanley. His ligament injury hasn’t healed as much as we had hoped. The Vet advised that Stanley needs to stay in walk for another 18 months, preferably hacking out rather than being in a school environment. A gentle hacking environment will aid his rehabilitation and give him many more years of enjoyment.

Thank you to everybody who has been on the hacking rota and helped with his rehabilitation which has really helped him.

We will of course be fundraising for another horse, although Stan the Man will be hard to replace and we know so many of our riders and volunteers hold a soft spot for this loveable moustached dufus.