Riding for the Disabled - Cambridge, NZ
Ride Tall!
Events & Activities
Top jockey Michael Walker spent a morning of learning, laughter and enjoyment at Cambridge RDA. After a life threatening accident, Michael has a new found passion for helping children with disabilities.
Click TERM 1 2010 NEWSLETTER.pdf to download the Term 1, 2010 newsletter! For all the update news and events of Cambridge RDA.
New Horses! Regional Games Day! Term 2 Dates!
Click December Newsletter.pdf to download the December/Term 4 newsletter.
Term 1 dates!
Regional Games Day 2010!
Recent events!
The team from Cambridge, Lachie and paddy, George Hawley and Paddy, Portia and Trixie.
On 10th October, three regular Saturday riders (and parents), two Cambridge RDA Ponies; Paddy and Trixie, and three volunteers traveled to Napier to attend an RDA dressage competition.
On the Saturday morning we travelled down to Napier. Everyone arrived safely and the ponies enjoyed their yummy hay too! On Saturday afternoon all three Cambridge riders assembled to ride Paddy and Trixie in the new environment. They both behaved excellently and settled easily into the beautiful indoor arena! We then had a go at plaiting them up, and saw them off to their new paddock for the night.
The next day (Sunday) it was an early start, off to bath and replait the ponies! They both looked smart and shiny, all ready for their big day. Both ponies had a good warm up with their riders and were all set for competition.
First to enter the arena was Lachie and Paddy, Lachie worked hard to ride Paddy well, they gained an 8th place. Second into the arena was Portia and Trixie, Portia put in an excellent effort and Trixie behaved wonderfully, they gained a 2nd placing. Lastly, to ride from Cambridge, George Hawley and Paddy entered the arena. George worked so hard to keep Paddy focused and it paid off, they gained a 1st place. Well done to all three of our riders who each put in an enormous amount of effort. A thoroughly enjoyable weekend was had by all who attended the event.
A special thanks to the support team from Cambridge, parents and the group from Napier RDA for a well run and organised event.
OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
Click HERE to download the October/ Term 3 newsletter!!!
New Horses!
Resource Consent!
Term 4 dates!
Regional games day! (14.03.09)
For many weeks before the games Cambridge group RDA ran evening practices for our riders in anticipation of our big day!
The day dawned fine – our prayers were answered; overcast for most of the morning, so no one became too hot, but dry. Weren’t we lucky?!!
Thirty five riders from three different groups within the Waikato/King Country area gathered at the grounds of the Cambridge Group behind the GasLight Theatre on Alpha Street with twelve mounts of various sizes, ages, colours and build. What a wonderful day we had! The riders took part in three separate competitions of Dressage, Cross-Country and Games with scores being counted towards both individual and group awards. Ribbons were awarded for class placements too, ensuring that everyone went home with a few of different colours.
Devon from Te Awamutu took out the Senior award, with some close competition from Eve from the host group. Sam from Cambridge won the Junior award from Matt and Caitlyn of the Central King Country group. Central King Country came out as the top scoring group, with Cambridge a close second, whilst the award given to the most suitable RDA mount went to Freedom from Central King Country, over Paki (Cambridge) and Sergeant (Te Awamutu).
Thanks to the Cambridge community who supported us on the day; the Lions Club who ran a sausage sizzle at lunchtime, the St Andrew’s Evening Fellowship ladies who produced packed lunches for the riders and volunteers, Mitre 10 who loaned us some plants to enhance the dressage arena and cross country course and the Waikato Dressage Society kindly lent us their portable dressage arena for the day. With the assistance of the group’s volunteers and friends, according to the participants, the occasion was a great success and enjoyed by all who took part, and who came to support.
18.12.08
It's the end of 2008 already! Our last riding day was on the 9th of December, and we followed it up the next Saturday with our Christmas Party. Santa arrived on cue - the reindeer are resting prior to Christmas Day, so Paki bravely volunteered to carry the big man!
Santa handed out presents and prizes to our riders, and we all enjoyed a shared lunch. There was a naming competition - could the riders, or their parents, name all the horses correctly? Even harder was to name all the pieces on a saddle and bridle!
But the highlight of the day had to be the parent's egg and spoon race! The poor parents had to ride bareback and not let their hard-boiled egg drop. A huge challenge for some, who had never ridden before!
Santa arrives!
Naming the saddles
Naming the horses
And the parent's egg and spoon race!
A great day was had by all - a big thanks to the volunteers who organised it, to the parents for being such good sports, and to Santa, for everything.
NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER
Click HERE to download the November newsletter
24.11.08 Car Club Fundraiser
This year we were fortunate to be chosen as the charity of choice for the Stragglers Custom Car Club's show day. The show, held at Lake Te Koutu Domain in Cambridge, attracted over 600 classic and customised cars and hotrods. The weather held off and people flooded into the domain to see the cars, listen to the music and eat food.... and drop gold coin donations into our buckets.
We haven't had word of how much we have raised, but it's expected to be over $8,000! Heaps and heaps of thanks to the Stragglers for their support, and for all the parents, riders and volunteers who came and helped us collect. The money we raise is going towards our arena project.
Nic, Ayla and Kat with Misty at the Stragglers Car Club's show day
21.11.08 Helping hands from Genesis Energy
Last Friday eight staff members from Genesis Energy came out to our grounds and spent a hot sunny day doing hard work for us.
One of our new bus shelters
17.11.08 Games Day!
Cambridge RDA is proud to be hosting the 2009 Waikato RDA Regional Games Day.
Cambridge was runner-up in 2008 and champions in 2007 so we hope there will be some good competition!
27.10.08 Horsey news
We have had some changes in our team of horses and ponies. Misty and Paddy II have gone back to their owner, who gave them to us on free lease. Her circumstances have changed and she and her children can enjoy having them around again. PaddyII and Misty were great to have at RDA and while they will be greatly missed, we are very grateful for the time we had with them.
Bonnie has also returned to her owner, as sadly her paces weren't suitable for working at RDA. She was a lovely horse and we are sad to see her go.
But we do have another new horse at RDA! His name is Paki and he is easy to spot as he is much bigger than our ponies! He is a Percheron and stands somewhere about 17hh. He is a true gentle giant and has wowed everyone so far with his beautiful nature. He is on a free lease to us from a Cambridge local.
OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
Click HERE to download the October Newsletter
27.09.08 New horse at RDA
Some of you may have seen a new horse at our riding day - her name is Bonnie. She is a Standardbred, and is on trial with us. If she suits we will be having her on a free lease. She is very interested in all the goings on at RDA, and all our boys are very interested in her! She will be a great addition to our team.
10.09.08 Our fences are live!
A big thanks to the Cambridge Rotary Club, a group of whom spent a long tiring day repairing our fences, and overhauling all our electric fences. They now run with a hefty current, which has taken a few people by suprise.... it was a big job and we are very grateful to the guys from Rotary for the time and effort they put in - especially since Kupe ate a sleeve off someone's jersey!
26.08.08 BREAKING NEWS!!!! Here's the press release:
Cambridge High School wins national building challenge
A group of students from Cambridge High School has won the national BCITO 2008 Build-Ability Challenge for a horse hospital they designed and built for the local Riding for the Disabled Group.
The Build-Ability Challenge is part of the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation’s Building Careers Month held during August, and involves team of students building a project for a local community group.
The horse hospital, which can provide shelter for up to four horses, was designed and built by five year 11 to 13 Cambridge High School students over a four-month period. The structure features a trough accessible to horses from both inside and outside the shelter which is filled from rainwater collected off the roof.
The judges commended the Cambridge team for the quality of their workmanship and getting local community support behind an ambitious project. The students had compiled an impressive record of work for the project, integrating photographs and commentary to produce a comprehensive story of the construction process.
Well done Tom, Charlotte, Hamish, Matt and Ben! Our Horse Hospital definitely deserves first prize.
09.09.08 Weekday Riding:
We are pleased to announce that we will be starting riding lessons on Thursdays. This is due to our new coach, Carol Penman. Carol is a highly experienced RDA coach and also coaches at Te Awamutu RDA. More about Carol here!
Exact times and numbers will depend on our riders and availability of volunteers. Please contact us if you are interested in riding with us on Thursdays, or if you can volunteer.