Bradford school set to raise roof for royal visitor

The Riding for the Disabled group, based at the centre, raised more than £100,000 to pay for the new, all-weather arena which will be officially opened by Princess Anne on April 2.

Children baked buns, did bag packing at local supermarkets and organised pony rides at fetes and galas.

The ASDA Foundation, through its supermarket at Owlcotes, Pudsey, gave a hefty £19,000 towards the project and the riding school itself made a large contribution.

The British Equestrian Federation also helped with funding for the new facilities, which include a ramp and a toilet block.

“We only put the plans in last Christmas,” said Jeanette Wheeler, who runs the riding school and is the RDA group’s organiser and instructor.

“We got planning permission in April and it was finished by September. We don’t mess about.”

They were dreading another winter like last year, when so many of the group’s sessions had to be cancelled due to bad weather.

“It’s absolutely fantastic,” said Sarah Hamilton, chairman of Throstle Nest RDA.

“Groups and individuals can come and ride in comfort, whatever the conditions are outside.”

Jeanette Wheeler reckons that attendance has more or less doubled since the covered arena was completed.

The addition of a ramp has made a big difference to riders such as Nicola Stewart, 25, who uses a wheelchair.

She said: “I used to love coming to ride when I was younger but I had to stop because there was no way of helping me get onto a horse.

“Now, with the new ramp, I can get on Robbie safely.”

Princess Anne has been president of the RDA since 1986.

During her visit she will watch a group of adults from Listonshiels Resource Centre, Bierley Lane riding in the new arena and there will be a display of mounted games put on by Pony Club members.

“The new arena means that more groups can come here but it also means that we have to raise even more funds,” said Hamilton.

If anybody would like to make a donation or become involved as a volunteer, call the riding school on 01274 639390.

Despite suffering from constant back problems for the past six months, Para-equestrian dressage rider Natasha Adkinson got off to a flying start at her first competition of the year.

Adkinson, 18, won both her classes at the competition held earlier this month at Arrow Equestrian Centre in Kent.

She had not been too hopeful about competing after jarring her back when her horse shied at the audience during the Young Rider International competition last August.

“I’d really been suffering with my back over Christmas, so I wasn’t holding out too much hope for a great start to the season,” said Adkinson.

“However, having trained ready for the competition, I was feeling very positive and confident about my goals.

“It couldn’t have gone any better and now I’m really excited about the Winter Championships and the year ahead.”

Riding her competition horse, Prince Charming, Adkinson beat her nearest rival by 16 per cent, with scores of 75 per cent and 73.6 per cent.

This result, combined with her previous competition wins of over 70 per cent, meant that she qualified for the British Dressage Para-Equestrian Winter Championships which will be held at Vale View Equestrian Centre in Leicestershire on March 10 and 11.

Adkinson, who lives in Bawtry, is a member of the British Equestrian Federation’s World Class Development Programme.

She suffers from VACTERL Syndrome which causes abnormalities in her joints and mainly affects her spine and limbs.

She also has Spina Bifida in her neck.

Adkinson is studying A level Geography, French and Spanish at Sheffield High School for Girls and hopes to go to Loughborough University.

She does strength and conditioning training to help her riding at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

“This year my main aims are to compete in the Home Internationals in July and in the Young Rider Internationals, which are being held at Bishop Burton in August,” added Adkinson.

Two British showjumpers competing in the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida finished with top scores at the weekend.

There was another major win for Nick Skelton riding Big Star, owned by Beverley Widdowson. After an 11 horse jump-off he won the $32,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic, with second place going to fellow British rider Ben Maher on Quiet Easy 4, owned by the Quainton Stud.

There were 54 entries for this competition which Skelton won in a time of 33.29 seconds.

Maher was just behind him, finishing in 34.39 seconds.

Maher also picked up another placing at the weekend when he came third in the 1.60m Fidelity Investments Grand Prix riding his own and the Quainton Stud’s 10-year-old black gelding, Tripple X 111.