Disabled horse riders secure qualification for national championships

The riders from RDA Carlisle, which is a volunteer-led branch of a national group that aims to help people with physical and mental disabilities become involved in horse riding, secured their place at the national championship on Wednesday, May 22 at a regional qualifier in Morpeth. 

The riders, including three children and two adults, will now take part in the national finals which are set to be held at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire in mid-July.

After the group's success at the regional qualifiers, RDA coach Anneli Dix was on hand to explain more about the group. 

She said: "The group has been going for 50 years, we celebrated our 50th year last year and we offer riding lessons to children and adults who have got physical and learning diabilties or are neurodivergent.

"We run on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we ride out at Blackdyke out at Rockliffe and on Wednesday we took our riders to Morpeth for the regional and all of our riders qualified for the nationals."

Anneli also delved deeper into the wider benefits of the group as well as highlighting some of the RDA Carlisle's success stories.

She said: "You see the difference you can make to the children.

"Sam, who is our blind rider who we took across to Morpeth, would not say a word to anyone when I first started and now she will chatter away.

"Joshua has got cerebral palsy and can't walk but can ride a horse and keeps us all in check.

"It is so amazing to see them develop as individuals and develop their confidence, they also get to learn how to look after the horses and ponies and it just covers all bases."