Joan
Friday Volunteer, Friday Volunteer Liaison
After retiring and getting my first hip done in 2000, I joined RDA Ryde Centre which was then in Putney near Gladesville. At the time, I didn’t know what end of a horse was which, but soon got this sorted!!
Wow, did I fall head over heels with those seven “Boys”! Wendy our Friday Coach buddied me up with Lyn, an experienced volunteer, and together they got me up to speed with all the usual RDA activities.
How wonderful it’s been to assist in our classes, helping our riders experience the saying: nothing is so good for the inside of a human as the outside of a horse.
Twenty years on, after the other hip, two knees and a heart attack, I’m still here and very proud to have been presented with my 20-yr service badge by our President Helen a few weeks ago—thank you RDA Ryde!
As well as being a regular Friday vollie, over this time I’ve also been Rider Co-ordinator, Volunteer Co-ordinator, Feed Co-ordinator, and now Friday Volunteer Liaison. I’ve loved these jobs and found each of them fulfilling in their different ways. My professional background as a teacher and then clinical audiologist helped greatly, and also a major in agricultural chemistry decades ago assisted my understanding of equine nutrition.
I’ve also helped RDA NSW with their activities over many years: Mounted Games & Horse of the Year at the Sydney Royal Easter Show and the Dressage Championships first at Clarendon and then at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park—even have a small trophy for my gatekeeping work! At the old Centre, I also assisted with two annual fund-raisers for RDA Ryde: “Mud Hut” endurance riding up Hawkesbury way and the All Schools Dressage at St Ives Showground.
How lucky I was 20 years ago to find such a fantastic vollie job! I’ve met some wonderful people, made great friends and learnt so much about horses and their interactions with us humans. And all of this has in turn given me such a good opportunity to contribute something back.
My profound thanks go to our Coaches for making this possible—without them, and all the work and responsibility they take on, there would be no RDA Centres, no riding experiences for our riders, and no volunteering opportunities for us. But they are there, so all is well…
About Us
Founded: 1972 by Pearl Batchelor OAM
Patrons: Her Excellency The Honourable Margaret Beazley AO QC Governor of NSW and Mr Dennis Wilson
RDA(NSW) Ryde Centre 