RDA Cowra Celebrates Another Great Year

It has been a fun, eventful and successful year for RDA Cowra. Students from Mulyan Public, Holman Place Public, Cowra Public, Canowindra High and Cowra High took part in the riding program on Wednesdays during school terms at the new covered arena behind the Cowra Showground. The program was made possible again by Head Coach Joy Webster, Coach Jenny Wright and a team of amazing volunteers and horses.

The horse team is made up of RDA owned horses, Fame, Digger and Rocket.

Leased horses, Sabira and Barney and horses loaned to RDA and brought each week by their generous owners, Clydie, Pally, Goldie and George.

This year our miniature horses, Topsy and Orie, retired and moved to a new home with some young children who are thrilled to look after them.

All riders this year made exceptional progress, improving their riding abilities and their skills around the horses. There were games and activities designed for fun and education.

RDA Cowra especially thank the people of Cowra for their continued support of the RDA Op Shop.

The original shop was moved this year from Kendal Street to a bigger store located on the corner of Vaux and Lachlan Streets. Steph Cooke, NSW MP for Cootamundra kindly opened the new store.

The new location allows RDA volunteers to stock an even bigger variety of preloved and occasionally new it􀀊ms. Everything from Christmas decorations to unicorns, plants to furniture, crockery, jewelry, toys, shoes and list goes on. Donations received from locals and visitors are sold to provide the much­needed funds required to run the Cowra RDA for local kids. Everything from helmets and boots to sand in the arena must be paid for and the shop along with RDA's monthly Bunnings BBQs have made it all possible. Like the riding program, the Op shop is run by the RDA committee and some very generous volunteers. It takes a mighty effort to sort, display, price, and manage the wonderful donations that are continually dropped in.

The RDA shop operates at 2 Vaux Street Thursday to Monday 1 0am-4pm with donations received by 3.30pm on those days so that volunteers have time to sort and put away items before they close. This year RDA Cowra was able to purchase a new horse float from funds generated by the Op shop and with the help of the showground trust were able to install a fence and pathway from the arena to a disabled toilet. Another major achievements for 2025 was the installation of solar panels and a battery to power the arena, the kitchen and the tack room. Having power is a welcome luxury for volunteers after years of getting by with a noisy generator. RDA thanks the Cowra showground trust for their contribution to these important amenities.

Thanks again for the amazing support from the community and Merry Christmas to all.

• Topics:
• Equestrian
• Community Groups