Cowra Showground, Racecourse and Paceway Land Managers have celebrated the official opening of a long-awaited undercover horse arena earlier this week in Cowra.
Riding for the Disabled (RDA) has had a long path to the unveiling of the new shelter, capable of protecting both horses and their riders from harsh summers and rainy weather.
The project was started in 2019 but due to COVID, increases in costs and a major flooding event the arena has only recently been completed.
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke joined RDA staff and volunteers, who were able to finally cut the ribbon on May 19 along with the Cowra Land Managers, Cowra RDA and Cowra & District Pony Club.
The arena, on Showground Lane, has been funded by a grant of $540,000 from the NSW Government and contributions from the Cowra Crown Land Managers and Cowra Chapter of Riding for Disabled.
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The massive Arena will be used by about 40 school aged children with disabilities each Wednesday in the RDA program, on weekends by Cowra Pony Club and will be available for commercial and community use by other horse enthusiasts.
The Arena allows the weekly RDA program to be held despite rain and hot weather. A large group of local volunteers support the participants in equestrian activities in a safe and fun environment. This gives them a sense of achievement, improves their quality of life, is therapeutic and develops life skills.
Included in the project was an accessible amenities block and accessible parking joined by a concrete path, making it easy for everyone to access the site.
NSW Crown Lands, part of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, funded the work through a Crown Reserves Improvement Fund (CRIF) grant and a Showground Stimulus Funding grant.
In addition to the undercover arena, Crown Lands also provided $466,068 to the Cowra showground racecourse and paceway land managers to upgrade the showground’s electrical wiring and installed a new shade structure to the existing grandstand.
More than $1 million in grants have now been provided by Crown Lands since 2020 to maintain and improve the showground, racecourse and paceway.
Chairman of the Cowra CLM Chris Meiklejohn said with NSW Crown Lands support the Showground was slowly being upgraded to reach its full potential.
“There are many groups using the Showground and facilities and the CLM members want to continue to upgrade and provide safe and modern facilities for the whole community into the future.”
Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke has supported the project since 2019 - and attending its opening said it "warmed her heart" to see the enrichment the RDA provides to the community.
"None of this would be possible without the RDA, and have made a significant contribution to the community, not just through their fundraising efforts - but through turning up every week - you are changing people's lives, from our smallest learners all through to adults, the difference you're making is incredible and mustn't go unnoticed," Ms Cooke said.
The added shelter and the amenities will help extend the season and offer more opportunities for people across Cowra to interact with RDA at times that work for them.
Dave Hawkins, president of RDA said "We had five or six rain outs last year, and disappointing kids on the day that they're expecting us really destroys their day. So barring extreme weather, this shelter has finished all that. In thunderstorms of course, we'd still have to cancel. In the summertime, we're now able to go longer into the year - it was so hot it wasn't fair on the horses, the kids or the volunteers."
Mr Hawkins said the construction represented a great advance for the RDA to provide care and lessons to kids in the region who benefit from the special relationship between people and horses.
"If you have a look at the kids faces they relax, it really is beneficial for people, they'e calm, they and the horse settle down and they're smiling."
