Hello,

The countdown to the Olympics is well and truly on! London 2012 promises to be an exceptional event and final preparations and selections will soon be taking place. Please don’t forget the Paralympics that follow in late August. Para-equestrian events will take place at Greenwich Park and RDA has good reason to feel proud and involved. Team GB is likely to be taken up by riders, several of whom have risen through the RDA ranks and are now representing their country. Also Dara Kearney, Field Officer of RDA (Ireland) has been elected chef d’equipe of the Irish Para team- we wish her well and I’m sure that she will do a great job.

Achievement for our riders does not have to be on an Olympic scale! Simply getting onto a horse for the first time or managing to ride a few strides without a leader can mean as much to some of our participants! That said, the summer term does enable our riders to show the skills that they have been learning throughout the year. Our annual Dressage and Countryside Challenge competitions take place on May 2^nd at Danescroft Equestrian Centre. Many of our riders will again be aiming to qualify for the RDA National Championships at Hartpury in July which, with over 500 riders and drivers, will be the biggest Para equestrian competition in the world!

Balmoral Show on May 17^th gives us an opportunity to show the public our skills. This year we are planning a musical ride. Please come along to the Cattle Lawn at 4pm and see our stars in action- they love to perform to an audience!

As always RDA NI is in need of new volunteers. RDA sessions usually last for about one hour per week-often, although not always in the morning. Most groups do not operate in the school holidays. You don’t have to be horsey- other skills are always necessary including IT, organisational, teaching, trailer driving etc. We would be especially keen to hear form those with experience form the Carriage Driving fraternity. Carriage driving is a wonderful activity for those who as a result of their disability are unable to ride.

I hope that you enjoy our website and that you will be inspired to join RDA NI Region.

Happy Riding!