The Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) has been announced as Cornbury House Horse Trials’ official charity for 2023. 

Enriching lives through horses, Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) benefits the lives of over 17,000 disabled children and adults across the UK.

Activities including riding and carriage driving.

The charity provides therapy, fitness, skills development and opportunities for achievement, all of which is supported by 13,000 amazing volunteers and qualified coaches at nearly 500 RDA centres all over the UK.

The RDA will have a range of activities taking place across the site at Cornbury House Horse Trials this year, which runs from 6-10 September, and the partnership is designed as both a fundraising and awareness-boosting opportunity for the RDA.

Spectators can find a designated RDA stand on Saturday 9-Sunday 10 September, featuring the local New Yatt RDA group along with the RDA’s riding simulator, a mechanical horse fondly known as Charley.

Visitors will have the opportunity to experience the motion of riding a horse.

Adults and children are welcome and donations encouraged. 

Additionally, across the weekend, there will be some furry faces from Cotswold RDA visiting, showcasing the unique RDA nationwide initiative, Tea with a Pony.

Tea with a Pony is a non-riding session that provides emotional wellbeing with notable therapeutic benefits.

Meet some RDA ponies and find out about the benefits of Tea with a Pony and how you can become involved.

David Howden, Founder and President of Cornbury House Horse Trials said: “This is a very important and worthwhile charity which is close to my heart given my love of horses.

I am very aware of the positive impact of horse therapy and the work that this charity and their team of volunteers do each year.

We look forward to working with the RDA and their team to create a meaningful partnership which raises worthwhile funds.”

Lisa Davies, Head of Communications and Insight added: “RDA are delighted and proud to be a charity partner of Cornbury House Horse Trials and we look forward to introducing RDA to visitors at this prestigious event. Weekend visitors will be able to meet real RDA therapy ponies, or support our life changing work and ride mechanical dressage horse Charley!

Local RDA Groups, New Yatt and Cotswold RDA, will be on hand to answer questions about our work providing opportunity, inclusion and fun for disabled people through equestrian activities.

It looks set to be a fantastic event and we can't wait!”

About RDA

At Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), our horses benefit the lives of disabled children and adults.

With fun activities like riding and carriage driving, we provide therapy, fitness, skills development and opportunities for achievement – all supported by teams of volunteers and qualified coaches at RDA groups and commercial centres all over the UK.

RDA is an inclusive and diverse organisation.

We welcome clients with physical and learning disabilities and autism, and there are no age restrictions.

Through our network of member groups, RDA is at work in every corner of the UK, in our cities and remote rural areas, bringing the therapy, achievement and fun of horses to as many people as we can.

Our activities are recommended by Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists, and the majority of our participants are referred to RDA by a health professional.

Regular riding improves core strength, balance and coordination and our welcoming groups help to combat isolation and loneliness and boost wellbeing and happiness.

From research tracking the difference we make, we know that typically 68% of beneficiaries experience improvements in their communication, 76% experience more enjoyment, 77% demonstrate greater confidence, 76% show physical improvement and 82% improve the ability to build relationships.

Over 400 RDA groups and 57 Accessibility Mark centres work with 17,000 disabled children and adults each year, supported by 13,000 volunteers and volunteer coaches.

RDA is reliant on voluntary help, donations and legacies to deliver its services.

Please donate now at www.rda.org.uk

RDA is a charity registered in England and Wales (No: 244108) and Scotland (No: SC039473).

For more information: Please contact Brigitta Falcini, at RDA UK on bfalcini@rda.org.uk or on 01926 405964.

The 2023 event (7-10 September) will be the fourth year of Cornbury House Horse Trials, which takes place on the Cornbury estate near Charlbury in Oxfordshire. For the first time, this year's event will stage the British Eventing Young Horse Championships for five-, six- and seven-year-old horses, FEI CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S, a Pony Trial and British Eventing national classes.

Cornbury Park Horse Trials ran from 1993-2000, and was a large and popular advanced-level event.