No Image

South Region Qualifier 2026

January 14, 2026 Katy 0

Save the Date

Sunday 17 May 2026
RDA South Region Qualifier
 for the National Championshipsat Berkshire College of Agriculture, Hall Place, Burchetts Green, Maidenhead SL6 6QR
Entries close: Wednesday 6 May
Schedule to follow!

RDA National Championships – 10th – 12th July at Hartpury University

No Image

Volunteer’s Training at Abingdon RDA

January 12, 2026 Katy 0

We are holding a training session for volunteers (coaches also welcome)
at:
The Abingdon Group, Southmoor, OX13 5HW
Sunday 8 th February 2026

Training Delivery


 Karen Stubbs – Regional Coach
 Frances Lochrane – Berkshire County Coach
 Felicity Smetten – Buckinghamshire County Coach
 Nona Dane – Regional Physiotherapist
The training session will cover:
 Warming up the equine
 Checking tack before mounting
 Mounting and dismounting
 Working with the unbalanced rider to lessen the impact on the
horse
 Looking at the symmetry of the rider
 Leading and sidewalking


We will meet for coffee and registration at 9.30am. The training session
will take place from 10.00am until 12.00pm.
Please bring a chair with you and wrap up warm.
Please reply to Karen Stubbs by Friday 23 rd January 2026 via email:
[email protected]

No Image

South Region Conference 21st April 2026

November 11, 2025 Katy 0

When: 21st April 2026

Where: Warbrook House Heritage Hotel, The Street, Eversley, Hampshire, RG27 0PL

Who: All RDA volunteers, employees, participant’s, parents and carers from Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire

Objective: The South Region RDA Conference is a dedicated event aimed at bringing together volunteers, coaches, employees, participants, parents and carers across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire. This was last done in 2017 to great success. The conference will serve as a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, learning and strategic discussions. It will:

  • Foster collaboration and networking among volunteers
  • Provide training and workshops on best practices and innovative approaches.
  • Showcase successful case studies and inspirational stories.

What to expect:

9.30am Registration

Introduction – Diane Lee – South Region Chair

RDA the Future – RDA CEO – Michael Bishop.

Equine Welfare/Social License – Roly Owers Chief Executive World Horse Welfare

Coffee break

Autism Awareness and Neuro divergence and its impact on physical abilities – Nona Dane.  Member of Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and post graduate from Association of Chartered Physiotherapy in Therapeutic Riding

Artificial Intelligence – Friend or Foe  – Christian Noll.

Lunch

Panel Interview hosted by Michael Bishop – Olympic Medallists Mari Durward-Akhurst, Erin Orford (TBC) and Debbie Daniels.

‘It’s what you can do’ – Lorna Marsh

What does RDA mean for you – Kate Nellist and Bryony Moss and many others from the RDA community

Reflection

Tea break

4pm depart.

The Important bit – What will you eat?

On arrival – Tea, coffee and bacon/egg rolls

Morning break – tea, coffee, fruit smoothies and pastries

Lunch – 2 courses

Afternoon break – Tea, coffee and mini muffins

Registration

Numbers are limited but open to all volunteers, employees, participants, parents, and carers.

Ticket price is £25

Please register using the link below.

Tickets for the South Region Conference

No Image

The New MyRDA Is Here!

September 26, 2025 Katy 0

MyRDA has moved! We’ve refreshed and relaunched the site to make it simpler, clearer, and more enjoyable to use. From guidance and resources to the latest news, everything you need is now just a click away, with new features like a personalised dashboard, comprehensive search tools, refreshed content, and built in accessibility features.

Use this link to acess the new MyRDA – https://my-rda.org.uk/

Showing you around

To make sure everyone gets the best start with the site, we’d love to show you around it. We’ll be hosting a webinar at 6pm on the 30th September, where you’ll get a chance to see the sites new features, find out how to create an account, and ask any initial questions you might have.

Use this link to sign up for the Webinar – https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/52f1b78b-d94f-4375-b9b2-c977ea08c085@783d53b6-0141-48e4-9757-93f32162b59b

What will I need to do to sign up to MyRDA?

From the 30th September you’ll be able to create an account on the new website. You’ll be able to access it from the old MyRDA, but also from a new, standalone URL – whichever works best for you. Most importantly, you’ll still be able to access your old bookmarks, to make sure you don’t lose any crucial information immediately.

By using a log in system, we’ll be able to support you with personalised information based on your favourite topics, which will be easily accessible from anywhere on the website.

Support after we’ve launched

We know that people might have questions about the site after it’s launched – so across October, we’ll be providing drop in sessions that will be open to everyone. You can come along with your own questions, or questions from your group or centre. You can use any of the links below to sign up ahead of time if you’d like to.

8th October 6 pm – https://rda.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=24bedaaf2d8092ecf889f6d70&id=975f32718f&e=4d3aec824b

14th October 6 pm – https://rda.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=24bedaaf2d8092ecf889f6d70&id=920fd26df7&e=4d3aec824b

22nd October 6 pm – https://rda.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=24bedaaf2d8092ecf889f6d70&id=a2e7421fa1&e=4d3aec824b

No Image

Makaton Online Taster Sessions

August 31, 2025 Katy 0

As part of this fantastic partnership with Makaton, do not forget to sign up to the online Makaton Taster Sessions exclusively for RDA groups – these three are the final training sessions for 2025. About the Taster Sessions:  

Date: Tuesday 09/09/25 & Thursday 18/09/25 

Content: Learn up to thirty everyday Makaton signs and symbols, plus twelve tailored to equine settings. 

Sign up here: Events – Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA)  

These sessions are a fantastic opportunity for RDA volunteers and coaches to develop skills that will enhance confidence, communication, inclusivity, and participant experience across our groups.