Courtney
Courtney is almost 21 and has been riding at RDA since she was about 5 years old ...about the same time her family moved to Cambridge.
It has helped with her balance due to poor vision, she has gained confidence in interacting with others, her listening and comprehension skills have improved as well as her confidence to ride in other situations such as our RDA farm rides. Courtney also enjoys interacting with the horses and has a lot of fun at RDA. She's always up for a challenge and has ridden many different horses over her years at RDA right from our smallest horse at that time, Sam, to now riding one of our biggest.
She has competed in many RDA competitions including travelling to Napier to compete in the Napier RDA Dressage Competition.
Courtney has progressed well at RDA and can ride a trot dressage test beautifully. She has a lot of confidence, as long as she's on the horse. Courtney is not at all keen to practice emergency dismounts when we have our practices as she says 'falling off is dangerous' - and we're all about safety at RDA. I do see her point there!
Courtney also started cycling on a specially made trike about 10yrs ago and started with the Cambridge school squad 2yrs ago, initially at the velodrome on her trike and then on a loaded tandem. She now rides in the school squad on a tandem at Velodrome and road, and with the Te Awamutu Club at the Velodrome.
Her club partner is an ex Olympic cyclist. Courtney loves speed and loves the track cycling! It is the only time her competitive streak comes out. Unfortunately she is not quite blind enough for parafed.
She now also does synchronised swimming as well.
Last year Courtney was awarded the Jennings Cup for Courage at Cambridge Senior Awards night.
It has helped with her balance due to poor vision, she has gained confidence in interacting with others, her listening and comprehension skills have improved as well as her confidence to ride in other situations such as our RDA farm rides. Courtney also enjoys interacting with the horses and has a lot of fun at RDA. She's always up for a challenge and has ridden many different horses over her years at RDA right from our smallest horse at that time, Sam, to now riding one of our biggest.
She has competed in many RDA competitions including travelling to Napier to compete in the Napier RDA Dressage Competition.
Courtney has progressed well at RDA and can ride a trot dressage test beautifully. She has a lot of confidence, as long as she's on the horse. Courtney is not at all keen to practice emergency dismounts when we have our practices as she says 'falling off is dangerous' - and we're all about safety at RDA. I do see her point there!
Courtney also started cycling on a specially made trike about 10yrs ago and started with the Cambridge school squad 2yrs ago, initially at the velodrome on her trike and then on a loaded tandem. She now rides in the school squad on a tandem at Velodrome and road, and with the Te Awamutu Club at the Velodrome.
Her club partner is an ex Olympic cyclist. Courtney loves speed and loves the track cycling! It is the only time her competitive streak comes out. Unfortunately she is not quite blind enough for parafed.
She now also does synchronised swimming as well.
Last year Courtney was awarded the Jennings Cup for Courage at Cambridge Senior Awards night.
