RDA Championships anyone?

[Jane.A]

Just wondered if anyone else was going? Travelling down saturday and doing the grade1-5 test with canter and freestyle on sunday.

[alwaysfallingof]

Don't even talk about it.
Going down tomorrow. Taking 7 riders and 5 ponies:eek:
Each rider doing 2 classes, and they all seem to have bunched up between 10 and 11.00 sunday morning. I think I'm going to have to learn to split myself in 2.

So yes...I'm going:)

[Jane.A]

I'm on sunday too. 11.08 and 11.56. Which group are you or shall I just look for someone who appears totally frazzled and wiped out at about 12 noon:D

[Gnasher]

So how did everyone do?

I didn't make it as a volunteer this year but a rider from one of my groups (Hope in the Valley if you saw them around) took 5th in the Countryside challenge in his class on sunday.

Karen xx

[alwaysfallingof]

Ooo - I did see the Hope in the Valley boxes...was thinking what a lovely name it was for a group.:)

We had a very successful weekend. Got 3 firsts, 3 seconds, a third, 2 fourths, a fifth, 2 sixths and 2 highly commendeds.:D
Not bad considering that it was the first year competing for four out of our seven riders.
I was very proud of them all, but must make a special mention for my rider that was class champion of the Grade 2 restricted freestyle class (although she had never ridden the exact test to the music before because we had to change it a couple of days ago:rolleyes::cool:)

I was also quite impressed that we managed to get placed in the turnout competition on Sunday, despite the fact that it tipped it down all day and our pony made a creditable effort to kill the judge:p

[Jane.A]

Had a good weekend. Came second in my championship test, beaten by half a mark by a lovely chap called Colin. Came equal second in freestyle and was part of the winning regional team. Was thrilled with my girl, she has been very tricky and it was her first championships and she didn't let me down. Came out of my freestyle in tears, I was so thrilled. The new indoor is mega! Then broke down on way home:eek: A wire snapped that served the fuel pump solenoid (like that means anything to me except we ground to a halt!) highways and emergency breakdown peeps were fab tho as my mare was going loopy as wagon shook with heavy traffic. They closed a lane and we were able to move to hard shoulder on nearby slip road. They then closed a lane to stop lorry shaking and I was able to put ramp down and let some air in, we have very high back ramp doors so she couldn't possibly get out. I dosed her heavily with AAA homeopathic remedy and she was soon cooled off and settled:cool:. Wouldn't mind but wagon was just serviced! Got home about 11.30pm, by time unloaded well after midnight, had to be up at 0430 to leave at 0530 to go on 2 day Equine specific First Aid course. just arrived home, done horses and about to crash into bed!
Sorry we didn't actually meet Always Falling off, but there's always next year.

[kat1]

I am so glad I have just seen this thread!

My daughter is nearly six. She has left side hemiplegia caused by cerebral palsy. She is however turining into a fab little rider. I would love her to be able to compete in RDA shows. Can you do lead rein dressage? She is doing really well in local shows and she has joined pony club. We do lead rein gymkana, bonny pony, leid rein pony and occassional lead rein equitation or lead rein M and M classes. We dont come out red but she has had a few seconds and thirds. However, she continually gets told in ridden classes to kick with both legs or sit taller - she cant! - she walks, she runs (in a fashion), she swims - but cant control her left leg very well in the saddle and does occassionally lean (although it is not obvious) i would love her to be able to compete without me having to for warn judges about her having CP - her pony understands what she wants her to do perfectly well even on the lead rein.

I spoke to RDA regional number and they put me through to our local brach who told me the following:
- cant take own pony to btanch due to insurance
- pony needs to affiliate to RDA to compete
-cant ride branch pony as priority for places give nto children without ponies
- she sounds too advanced anyway for sessions

We walk and trot on lead rein, she can do around the world and are in the early stages of being lunged (she is not an expert and I am not a braggy mother) however, she is probably more able than many other riders in sessions. I just want to get her involved in RDA so she does not feel she is the only one with CP in the world and she can achieve her dreams - as much for the future as for now

What do I do? Can I do RDA events independently? I feel she is being discriminated against for having her own pony

[Jane.A]

PM me and I will give you all the help and advice I can. Don't worry, I had problems too finding a group who would take me, as did one of my friends whose son is now on the potential world class squad. Some of the organisers being volunteers are not totally aware of how things can work or are frightened to go outside the limits of their experience.

[Sammii]

That's great, congratulations everyone, I'm glad you all had a good weekend :D

[alwaysfallingof]

Ditto Jane.A, a lot of it is finding the right group.

At our yard, it is the instructor's insurance that is the problem. For example, I am an RDAGI, and so am insured by the group to teach. However, the insurance only covers ponies that are covered by our licence.
However, my boss is also a BHSI, and so has freelance insurance as well as being a fab RDA instructor. So she COULD teach you using our facilities.
This is actually a big can of worms being opened within the RDA at the moment, and there is a lot of discussion going on about it.

In answer to your other questions...yes you can do lead rein dressage, and no you can't do RDA events independantly - you must have a group to hold your paperwork.

However, the para dressage is completely independant of RDA. So, if she became good enough then you could affiliate them with BD, get an IPEC profile done and attend any paradressage event you wanted to without ever involving the RDA.

[kat1]

is there a web site for parra dressage or an email address? Thanks for all this help, by the way we are in Lancashire

[Jane.A]

Yes, you can go for start or potential selection with the paras, the website address is www.ipec-athletes.de. There are also details on the British Dressage website with contacts for profiling and advice. She will not be eligible for para stuff until she reaches age 14, and needs to be riding independently off lead rein and capable of doing a test at her grade. Further info on www.bef.co.uk.
There will be an RDA group in your area who should allow you to affiliate to them, that doesn't mean you have to ride with them necessarily. Alex McNamara is affiliated to our group, but now he's on the paras it is purley a paper exercise to allow him to compete at the regional qualifiers and then at the Nationals if he wants. Our group like Always falling off's group has an Intermediate BHS instructor who is also an RDA instructor and coach now to Emma Sheardown who is on the potential squad. Her group accepted me when local groups wouldn't. I too have my own horses, it was actually horses that caused my disability:o. I wanted private lessons to help me come to terms with my loss of feeling and balance but many groups could not accomodate me, even tho' I wanted to ride their horses as mine were too sharp. Karen was wonderful. It was worth travelling an hour each way and she helped me enormously. I am still affiliated to the group though I now am back riding my own horses and have a german trainer, but I participate in fund raising events and still support the group.
You need to contact the RDA central office again and ask for the nearest physio who is able to profile your daughter, this costs about £30. She will then find out her rider classification. Riders are graded 1to 5 depending on impairment, with 1 being most severe, and compete against riders of the same grade usually. You also need to explain the problems you have encountered finding a group. Ask which groups in your area competed at the National Championships and who runs your regional qualifier as they should be the best person in your region to assist you. Next year's regionals start about April, with the Nationals being held in July. One of our riders won something called the Countryside ride( like handy pony) and the Introduction to dressage test,led. There was an un-led section too. So your daughter would be sure to find something to suit. Any more queries just yell.

[Gem with Sky]

Hi, While not a disabled rider myself I have stumbled across this site - one of my best friends is however a disabled rider and competed at the championships with her mare, she wasnt placed but did very well, She is a grade 4 and her mare is a gorgeous grey Hannoverian - She did come 2nd in the dressage to music though so we were all chuffed.

I will point out this area to her as while we are all supportive she sometimes feels we dont quite understand I think :)