Coffee Morning – 25 July 2024

We’d love it if you could join us for a Coffee Morning, hosted by the Cavalier Centre from 10am to 12pm on Thursday 25th July, 2024

Join Cavalier Club members and learn about what they do!
Find out what you can do if you join the Club
Celebrate their successes and see what they have been achieving
Enjoy coffee, tea and cake with friends at the Centre

No need to RSVP – we’d just love to see you!

What is Cavalier Club?

Cavalier Club supports you to take part in activities with the horses and staff, in a supportive environment
You will get to know the horses and people, working together to learn new skills and complete important tasks which keep the centre running smoothly
You will work with people who also love horses and the Cavalier Centre!
There will be opportunities to find out about other organisations and the work they do, which you might want to get involved with

What we do at Cavalier Club

Small groups, up to six people, meet each week to make friends and learn about how to care for the horses
We will complete tasks which keep the horses happy and healthy in the stables, fields and around the centre, but we will not ride
We will work together, getting to know each other and help the centre
Some tasks will need some physical effort and others will be about helping the centre raise to awareness about the work they do
We will also arrange a coffee morning and invite guests to celebrate your completion of Cavalier Club

Results for the 2024 RDA National Championships

We had a very successful weekend at the RDA National Championships in Hartpury. The full results are below. We also celebrated Georgia H-P winning the RDA’s Young Volunteer of the Year trophy presented by HRH The Princess Royal. Congratulations to all our competitors and horses.

We are incredibly thankful to our participants, ponies, volunteers, coaches, photographers, and team for making all of this happen. We’re so proud of you all!

The full results were:

Friday

RDA Young Volunteer of the Year

Georgia H-P

Novice Carriage Driving

4th – Matthew P driving Jack
6th – Peter H driving Jack
10th – Cheryl N driving a borrowed horse

Saturday

Showjumping Level 3

4th – Alison M riding Star

Grade 6 Walk Trot Dressage

4th – Dennie N riding Star (junior)
9th – Blossom B riding Star (Senior)
12th – Georgia H-P riding Heston (Junior)

Grade 6 Canter Dressage

1st and class champion – Alison M riding Star

Countryside Challenge – Independent

2nd – Georgia H-P riding Heston (Junior)
8th – Ellie F riding Star (Senior)

Best Turned Out Junior

2nd – Georgia H-P riding Heston

Best Turned Out Senior

3rd – Blossom B riding Star

Sunday

Grade 6 Walk Dressage

2nd – Louise W riding Star

Open Grade 6 Walk Dressage

1st and Class Champion – Romily E riding Star

Grade 7 Walk Trot

2nd – Diane F riding Star

Grade 7 Walk trot Freestyle

1st and Class Champion – Diane F riding Star

Countryside Challenge led or 1 side walker

2nd – Florence G riding Heston

Best Turned Out Junior

2nd – Florence G riding Heston

Highest placed RDA West Mercia member in Horse Care and Knowledge

Florence G

Trophy for the best Leader or Side walker in the Countryside Challenge

Annabel Bolton

Photographs available for download here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AXz1xWouQ54rxNNZfoFXkFvi36QVKa_B?usp=sharing

Official photographs for download (payment required) here: https://michaelmartin.co.uk/photos/events-2024/rda-2024-55th-anniversary/

Results for the Wenlock Olympian Games

What a wonderful day we had on Saturday for the Wenlock Olympian Games. As our founder Jane Barker said: “The ponies looked super, the volunteers, as always, are the best and the participants all looked amazingly smart. Well done to you all. A great success!”

Thank you to everyone who competed, to our volunteers and coaches for all their hard work, and to the team for putting it all together. And thank you too to our photographers, and to Helen from the Wenlock Olympian Games committee who presented the rosettes and medals.

The full results were:

Dressage

Senior Independent Walk Only

Ellie F, riding Theo – 2nd place
Delphine W, riding Star – 1st place

Senior Independent Walk & Trot

Di F, riding Sion – 1st place

Senior Led Walk Only

Emily B, riding Theo – 1st place

Junior Independent Walk & Trot

Jessica F, riding Finn – 1st place

Junior Led Walk Only

Sienna L-R, riding Archie – 2nd place
River-May F, riding Heston – 1st place

Senior Medals: Delphine W (Gold), Diane F (Silver), Ellie F (Bronze)
Junior Medals: River-May F (Gold), Sienna L-R, (Silver), Jessica M (Bronze)

Vaulting

Alice G – 1st place & gold medal
Lauren N – 2nd place & silver medal
Evie N – 3rd place & bronze medal
River-May F – 4th place
Michael S-G – 5th place
Ava O – 6th place
Claire H – 7th place
Ianthe P – 8th place

Countryside Challenge

Senior Independent

Julie K, riding Star – 1st place
Ellie F, riding Sion – 2nd place

Senior Led

Emily B, riding Theo – 1st place

Junior Independent

Florence G, riding Heston – 1st place
Jessica M, riding Finn – 2nd place

Junior Led

Sienna L-R, riding Archie – 1st place

Senior Medals: Emily B (Gold), Julie K (Silver), Ellie F (Bronze)
Junior Medals: Florence G (Gold), Jessica M, (Silver), Sienna L-R (Bronze)

Photographs available for download here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17gfGAQaHke_w9FLP2NVBprf6ah0Aoy4v?usp=sharing

Wenlock Olympian Society Games – 6th July 2024

RDA Equestrian Competition

Wenlock Olympian Society
Saturday 6th July 2024

Dressage from 10am
Vaulting from 1pm
Countryside Challenge from 2:30pm

You are invited to compete in the RDA Equestrian Competition at the Cavalier Centre.

As part of the Wenlock Olympian Society Games, we are hosting an RDA Equestrian Competition.

There will be Walk Trot (with Leader) and Walk Trot (Independent) tests, as well as the ever-popular Countryside Challenge. And new this year, will be RDA vaulting.

Entries are £14 per class with time slots given to each rider. Places will not be assigned without payment.

To enter, please complete the online booking form:

Equine Tack Sale – 21 June 2024

Friday 21 June, 2024

This is a wonderful chance to buy and sell anything equine (apart from horses!) There will be room in our Indoor Arena for up to 30 sellers, so there will be plenty of bargains to be found.

Refreshments will be available and all proceeds from the evening go towards the running of the Cavalier Centre.

Early Bird price for bookings made by 14 June only £10 per pitch.

Price for bookings made after 14 June £15 per pitch.

Sellers: set up from 5:30pm
Buyers: 6:00pm to 7:30pm

Please note that as much as we like them dogs are not permitted on site.

Well done to our competitors – RDA Regional Championships

We want to say a massive congratulations to all of our riders who took part in the RDA Regional Championships last weekend. They did the Centre proud and we’re so thrilled with their participation! Well done everyone. The full results are now in:

Class 115 – Dressage Grade 6 Walk

Delphine Wise, riding Star – 71.18%
Louise Wright, riding Theo – 67.05% 2^nd place – qualified for Nationals
Romilly Esp, riding Sion – 67.35% 1^st place (in open class) – qualified for Nationals

Class 80 – Dressage Grade 6 Walk & Trot, Junior and Senior

Junior section

Georgia Halliwell-Paget, riding Archie – 64.17% 2^nd Place – qualified for Nationals
Dennie Neal- 68.05%, riding Star – 1^st Place – qualified for Nationals

Senior section

Blossom Burton, riding Theo – 60.83% 1^st Place – qualified for Nationals

Class 119 – Dressage Grade 7 Walk & Trot

Diane Field, riding Sion – 73.33% 1^st place – qualified for Nationals

Class 53 – Dressage Grade 1

Jacqueline Doughton, riding Sion – 64.05% 1^st Place – qualified for Nationals

Class 82 – Dressage Grade 6 Canter

Alison Moore, riding Star – 67.06% 1^st Place – qualified for Nationals

Class 8 – Countryside Challenge Led or 1 side walker

Florence Giles, riding Heston – 2nd place – qualified for Nationals
Arthur, riding Star – 4th place

Class 11 – Countryside Challenge Independent

Senior

Ellie Forester, riding Theo – 2nd place – qualified for Nationals

Junior

Georgia Halliwell-Paget, riding Archie – 2nd place – qualified for Nationals

Collaborating with and through horses

Last Friday we were very happy to hold a CPD day for physios, OTs, speech and language therapists and case managers. It was called Collaborating With And Through Horses, and showcased all kinds of the work we do with horses. We’re so grateful to Chris Collins and Irma Prins (Freedom Physiotherapy Services) for facilitating, sharing their knowledge and demonstrating hippotherapy. Thanks to Lynette (Steps), Annabel (RDA riding) and Richard (Quiet Time) for presenting fascinating case studies and to Zara for hosting the grooming session.

And, of course, we couldn’t do it without the support of our award-winning volunteers, so thank you to Di T and Gaynor for supporting the grooming and pony obstacle course activities.

A special mention goes to our lovely ponies Sion, Tommy and Manny who behaved impeccably throughout the day.

And lastly, a huge thank you goes to the brilliant delegates who were a joy to have on site: positive, enthusiastic and full of ideas about how what they saw and heard could help them in their occupational therapy/physiotherapy and speech and language practice.

Hosting the RDA Carriage Driving Regionals

On Saturday 27th April, for the second year running the Cavalier Centre’s Carriage Driving Group ran a Regional Qualifiers competition leading up to the RDA National event in July. Seven drivers participated supported by four of the driving coaches (Penny, Gina, Ann and Julie) plus the wider driving team to keep the show on the road!

The results were Cheryl 1st (Qualifier), Pete 2nd (Reserve), Matt 3rd (2nd Reserve) all 3 will go the Nationals, Andrew 4th, Anna 5th, Fiona 6th and Steve 7th. Results were close and for all but two of the drivers it was their first competition!

The Val Fisher Endeavour Trophy was awarded to Hannah and presented by Malcolm Fisher. Hannah was chosen unanimously by all the driving coaches who admire her passion and commitment to driving, her endless cheer and her own funding raising efforts for pancreatic cancer – she is a joy to be with. What’s more she had no idea she was getting the trophy – her smile says it all.

Well done all – you are all winners!

Visit by HRH The Princess Royal to present the Kings Award for Voluntary Service

We were so happy to welcome HRH The Princess Royal back to the Cavalier Centre. She came to present us, along with seven other Shropshire charities, the Kings Award for Voluntary Service. It was such a wonderful morning and brilliant to be able show the Princess how the Centre has grown and introduce her to some of the new programmes, initiatives and activities we’ve undertaken since she was last here in 2019.

Here is a selection of pictures from the day…

Ludlow Charity Race Day

We had great day at Ludlow Races on 21st March! We were the nominated for the charity race day this year – and some of our award-winning volunteers helped serve a spectacular fundraising lunch! They were all incredible and wore bespoke Cavalier Centre aprons sponsored by our friends MyWorkwear.

The funds raised will make a huge difference to the centre and the work we do! We’re so grateful to the committee and team who put the day together, sourced incredible auction lots and made the day such a success! Thank you so much.

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