For some time we have been searching for a new, larger, pony or horse to carry our older riders, whilst fundraising for the money to buy one. Our ponies need to have a very special temperament and good RDA ponies are very hard to find. Three organisations were kind enough to make grants totalling £10,100 to purchase a pony: The Royal Warrant Holders Association; the East Grinstead Common Good Trust and the Gatwick Airport Community Trust. They have all been very patient while we have been tracking down the right one.
We are delighted to announce that we have finally found our pony. He is a 12 year old 14.2 hand Welsh cross piebald gelding, with lovely manners, known as Alfie. His full name is Pentregwyn Ashley and he came from Luke Tomlinson in Rochdale. We have had him on trial for a week and he has settled in well, ready for the new term which starts in September. We are enormously grateful to all three sponsors who enabled us to purchase him.
Each year we take some of our riders to the Regional Qualifiers to give them a chance to compete against other RDA riders. This year we took five riders to the Regionals and two of them qualified for the National Championships in July at Hartpury in Gloucestershire. Our team of instructors and volunteers drove up there with Fred and Star and were delighted when the children came 2nd and 5th in their classes. Parents and school staff attended and raised funds for the trip. Well done to all concerned.
In June we welcomed volunteers from SES Water’s Give A Day scheme, where employees are given a day off each year to volunteer for a local charity. Our gallery in the indoor school, where the children are fitted with boots and wait to mount, gets fairly heavy wear and was in dire need of a spruce up. We provided the brushes and paint and the lovely ladies from SES Water set to. Most of the paint went on the walls and ceiling, but we hope the team were wearing their oldest clothes. The gallery now looks fantastic and we are very grateful to the volunteers and to SES Water for giving them the day off.
Dengie Horse Feeds are the leading manufacturer of fibre-based horse feeds, and Royal Warrant Holders to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Last year they were voted the UK’s favourite fibre based horse feed, having topped the 2023 National Equestrian Survey.
Through our contacts at the RWHA, Dengie very kindly donated to us £300 of vouchers for their feeds. Our ponies who work so hard for us deserve the very best, and have been enjoying their premium nosh. Even little Star might grow a bit! Thank you Dengie.
We now have the funds to buy a new pony following receipt of the most generous donation from the Gatwick Airport Community Trust. GACT have donated £3,500 towards our pony fund – all we have to do now is find a pony! Our RDA ponies are very special and it can be hard to find a pony with just the right temperament and of the right size. We are actively looking and hope to be able to report back soon with news of success. In the meantime we are very grateful to GACT for their grant which topped up our pony fund to £10,100.
