Princess Anne returns to inaugurate Wilsden indoor riding arena for the second time

Throstle Nest RDA Group had to move from its Fagley Lane base in Eccleshill last year because the landowner wanted to build homes on the site.

The group relocated to a new home in Wilsden Equestrian Centre, Laneside, Wilsden, lock, stock and barrel including the indoor arena building which the Princess Royal inaugurated in 2012.

Now, she is returning to the district to put the seal on the move which has given the group great facilities and flexibility for members and riding lessons.

Group founder Jeannette Wheeler said: “Everyone’s very excited. The kids are very excited.”

She said that the new centre had a lot better facilities: “Since we’ve moved it has grown. We got to do it right.

“We knew how we could make it better.”

The equestrian centre already had an indoor arena and enough space for the group to re-erect its building last June with room for a lean-to housing barn space, toilets, a kitchen and room for a minibus to unload under cover.

The new facilities which the Princess, a president of the national RDA organisation, will inspect in her visit October 19 also include a better classroom, new arena surfaces, and heaters to enable users to stay warm.

She will be watching a short riding display by some of our disabled riders before presenting some 60 rosettes to riders and volunteers and making long service awards to some of the ponies.

The group received ÂŁ70,000 from the Fagley Lane landlord for the move and the sponsors - including the Marshall family, Wilsden parish council, and Sovereign Healthcare - and fundraisers boosted that to more than ÂŁ100,000 to allow the improvements to be made.

The centre is now open every day for all ages with five full-time staff, two of which are apprentices, several part-timers and more than 30 volunteers helping out.

A total of 35-40 RDA members attend a week and the riding school boasts more than 90 children in its pony club alone.