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50th Anniversary Ball
To celebrate 50 years of RDA Isle of Man, we are hosting a fabulous anniversary ball to commemorate all of the amazing achievements our riders and volunteers have made over 50 years!
Our anniversary ball is open to everyone – the more the merrier! So get your tickets booked today to help celebrate the past 50 years and keep supporting RDA Isle of Man for the next 50!
All the information needed is on the attached poster, but if you have any questions, or to book tickets, please contact us using info@rda-iom.co.uk
We look forward to seeing you there!
Riding for the Disabled Isle of Man – 50th Year Anniversary
Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) Isle of Man has touched countless lives since its inception in 1976. As the group celebrates its 50th anniversary, it is a fitting moment to reflect on a legacy of volunteering, the joy of equestrian therapy, and the indelible impact on the local community. Commemorating half a century of passion, dedication, and the transformative power of horses.
Origin and Early Years
The RDA Isle of Man began in September of 1976. A group of tenacious volunteers were inspired to give equestrian opportunities to people with additional needs. Volunteers & local Equestrians joined forces to establish a group that could offer riding sessions to children and adults with a wide range of physical and learning disabilities. Momentum grew through the early years and quickly forged roots as a well loved Charity on the Island, offering activities much needed to so many.
Impact and Achievements
Over the past five decades, RDA Isle of Man has supported thousands of participants, enabling them to build confidence, improve physical abilities, and form lasting friendships. Many riders have gone on to compete in local and national RDA events, proudly representing the Island and demonstrating that disability is not a barrier to achievement.
Community and Volunteer Spirit
The heart of RDA Isle of Man is its community. Volunteers from all walks of life have contributed their time and expertise. Their commitment has ensured that every session is safe and welcoming. Fundraising events, from coffee mornings to fun runs, have brought the wider Manx community together in support of the charity’s mission.
Looking Forward
In recent years, RDA Isle of Man’s accessibility improvements and partnerships with local schools have broadened participation. Competing virtually and embracing social media! As the group looks to the future, it remains committed to its founding values: inclusion, empowerment, and harnessing the unique bond between horse and rider to enrich lives. The 50th anniversary of Riding for the Disabled Isle of Man is a testament to the enduring power of community spirit, compassion, and perseverance. As the charity embarks on its next chapter, its legacy is secure: a golden jubilee of making a real difference, one ride at a time.
50th Sponsorship Poster
Need some help recruiting some amazing fundraisers around the office? Want to tell your local club about our 50th? Do you want to post on social media letting all of your friends and family know? Our 50th Sponsorship Poster is perfect for you!
50th Sponsorship Information
Click the icon above to download your very own sponsorship form with everything you need to get fundraising!
JustGiving Page
Click the icon above to head straight to our JustGiving donation page. All of your donations help continue our work for the next 50 years!
Saturday 17th October 2026 sees our 50th Anniversary Ball! Click the 50th rosette below for more information and to how to book tickets.
Horsing around for RDA Isle of Man 2025
Sign up now!
Ready to get involved? Sign up today and get your name on the roster for the first (of hopefully many) fun runs in aid of Riding for the Disabled Isle of Man! Just click the icon above to fill out the sign up form!
An inclusive fun-run for all of the family!
When: 12th October 2025
Where: Ramsey Rugby Club
Time: 10:00am - 13:00pm
Join us in making amazing memories dressed as our very own mascot - Murphy, all while helping to raise vital funds for our Charity.
Terms and Conditions
Please read our terms and conditions before signing up. It is important to keep you and everybody else safe on the day!
A main fun-run will be followed by loads of fun activities such as:
- Barrel Racing!
- Team Relays!
- Games & Stalls!
- Plus loads more!
Not able to make it on the day but still want to help support all of our incredibly Murphys?
Use the link below to our donation page where you can help support the day and leave an encouraging message for all of those involved!
Presentation Evening at Douglas City Hall 2025
Our amazing riders at City Hall
In March 2025, we were incredibly lucky to be invited to Douglas City Hall for a Presentation Evening, held by the Mayor, in order to present our Virtual National Championship awards to our riders.
The evening started with a recap of the Virtual National Championships by our coaches Kat and Di, followed by a flurry of rosettes, medals and even commemorative photo frames of our riders and their horses!
We couldn’t leave out the amazing team at the Guilcagh stables for all of their hard work, not just on the day, but in the weeks leading up to make sure the ponies and the arena were in tip-top shape!
The Mayor was incredibly interested to learn about all of the work and time that everybody had put in, and even said she would need to come up for a visit to see how it all happens!
Our amazing volunteer Nessie was also on hand to take some lovely photographs on the night, something that can be cherished by all in attendance for years to come. Thank you Nessie for your time and expert skills!
Our massive thanks goes out to Douglas Mayor for her and her Team’s warm welcome for a great evening, it is truly something that will be forever remembered!
Isle of Man Sports Awards 2024
On 27th February, RDA descended on the Isle of Man Sports Awards after our amazing rider Evie and wonderful committee member, group organiser and coach Kat were each nominated for an award!
Evie was nominated for Disability Sports Person of the Year, and Kat was nominated for Sports Administrator of the Year.
After some lovely nibbles for the nominees and their guests, everybody took their seats eagerly awaiting to hear of all of the Island’s sporting achievements throughout the year, and the winners of each award…
First up was Evie’s award category. There was a loud cheer when she came on the big screen from all of her family and RDA supporters, and as the envelope was opened, Evie was the winner! Evie spoke about RDA, the virtual national championships and her goals for the upcoming year. We can’t wait to see where it takes her!
Next up was Kat’s award category. Once again the RDA volunteers and supporters cheered loudly to show our support for our excellent coach and volunteer. Although Kat didn’t win, being nominated is a huge achievement in itself, being chosen out of many applications from many different sports, we are so proud and immensely grateful of all the work Kat does for RDA!
We are excited to see what 2025 brings, and who knows, we might have a few more nominations next year!
Below is a gallery of images from the night.
Virtual Nationals 2024
We entered our first ever Riding for the Disabled Virtual Nationals competition over the Summer, and we could not have imagined the results we got!
Our sensational volunteers, riders and their supports were up bright and early getting everything ready for us to put our best foot and hoof forward in both Dressage and Countryside Challenge classes.
Most of our riders have never competed before, and so their determination and resilience was dazzling! Every single one did an remarkable job, especially considering we only had time to walk the Countryside Challenge course moments before doing it for real!
The Dressage tests were completed immaculately, the riders, ponies and horses had put in so much work to learn all the different techniques they needed, and they all smashed it!
The Commentators were full of praise the whole weekend, often commenting on how well presented both riders and ponies were, they even said that they needed to visit us to meet the now famous Cobweb and Kizzy!
Our Countryside Challenge results were: 3 x Second, 1 x Third, 1 x Fourth, 1 x Fifth, 1 x Sixth and 1 x Ninth
Our Dressage results were: 4 x First, 2 x Second, 2 x Third, 1 x Fifth, 1 x Ninth and 1 x Eleventh
To top the weekend off, the amazing Kizzy who is cared for by the incredible Guilcagh Stables won Horse of the Day on Saturday, rounding out an incredible weekend for all riders, volunteers and supporters!
We are incredibly lucky to use the ponies and horses at the Guilcagh Stables, and are so thankful for all the time and effort that lets us do what we do!
The work of all; volunteers, riders, ponies, horses, support crews and the Guilcagh Stables Team cannot be understated, without them we could not have achieved what we all did. All that work paid off immensely and we could not be prouder of you all!
You can watch the whole weekend back on the RDA YouTube channel, linked here: RDANational
RDA Nationals 2024
Fun in North Wales!
The Group was able to take a group of riders to the Clwyd Special Riding School over the summer in North Wales.
This was made possible by the generosity of The Scheinberg Trust, who have funded this and similar trips for a number of years.
It is a complete change from what the riders are used to on their Tuesday rides at the Guilcagh Equestrian Centre in Andreas. When away they are responsible for feeding, grooming, tacking up and tack cleaning, and mucking out. A lot of hard work but the joy when they ride out on “their horse” on the tracks around the centre is just lovely to see.
Also, thank you to the Steam Packet Company for the generous discount they gave us on our travel costs.
Many thanks to everyone involved for a very successful weekend.
Joan Waters (Chair, Isle of Man RDA Group)