The year Lambourn RDA was founded is rather complicated. Our founder, Pauline Spence first became involved with RDA as a volunteer with the Newbury Group. After volunteering with Newbury for a number of years, she realised there was a great need closer to her home and therefore branched out in 1994 to set up her own group, initially under the umbrella of the Newbury RDA group. Pauline started with a few borrowed ponies taking children for short rides in a field at Ashdown House, which is owned by the National Trust. In 1997 the group became more established when it moved to Pauline’s home at Maddle Farm in Upper Lambourn and Lambourn RDA was registered as a group in its own right. The group carried on there under Pauline’s Chairmanship until she retired at the end of 2016. Frances Lochrane took over as Chair at the start of 2017 and in September 2017 the group moved to Chilton Foliat , a small village about 6.5 miles from Lambourn.
From a small start, the group has now grown to 48 participants and 50 volunteers. We regularly have school children doing D of E Awards and we always welcome local companies for Volunteer Days. Our activities include riding and non-riding therapy, and ‘Tea with a Pony’. We are also registered as a show jumping group and hope to start Endurance Riding in the near future.
The group employs a Manager to oversee the yard and look after the horses and there a number of freelance grooms who help out at weekends and evenings. We currently have the use of eight ponies and horses ranging from a Shetland pony up to a 15.3hh coloured cob. We own five, two are loaned and one is a working livery.
We are always looking for new volunteers and welcome all offers of support and help with running the group, from hands on volunteering in therapy sessions to organising events and fundraisers.
