meet-the-team - rdawoodbridge

Meet The Team - Our Staff and Volunteer Coaches

Meet the RDA (Woodbridge & District Group) Staff

Anne Hardwick
Anne Hardwick

Centre Manager

The Trustees are delighted that Anne Hardwick will be joining on 3rd March 2025 as our Centre Manager. An experienced professional in the equine industry, Anne brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge. She has successfully built and managed teams, including volunteers and students, managed commercial yards and her own successful equine business. She is also chair of British Equestrian Vaulting (the national governing body for equestrian vaulting in the UK)

Stacey Reed
Stacey Reed

Head Groom

Stacey has a BA (Hons) Degree Special Educational Needs & Disability studies, which she did to help better understand her son who has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) & ADHD. She has been riding since she was 7 years old and after working in SEN roles in schools, in 2020 Stacey came back to working with horses to improve work-life-balance. Her personal values are aligned with those of the RDA, so she views her role working here as an ideal job. With BHS Stage 1 successfully completed she is honing her riding skills via sharing Lulu. Stacey is often to be seen driving Rosie our 1960s Massey Ferguson tractor.

Victoria Gallantree
Victoria Gallantree

Head Coach

Victoria has 40 years’ equestrian experience back by formal qualifications, a BHS Instructor and a UKCC Level 4 coach, she began riding in the Isle of Man as a child and participated in Pony Club championship events, becoming a professional rider while a teenager. She was the proprietor of an equestrian centre in Warwickshire for over 20 years before moving to Suffolk and joining RDA. She loves working with horses and people and this role enables her to do both. Her values are attuned with those of the RDA as she has spent her working life supporting others to achieve and succeed.

Lizzie Bennet
Lizzie Bennett

Coach

Lizzie’s first experiences with RDA were as a participant in Cambridge. She later became a vaulting coach and then the RDA National Lead for vaulting. Being a part of RDA has brought many benefits to her physical and mental health, and has even given her the chance to compete internationally and to build a career. Having gained so much from it herself, she is always keen to spread the RDA magic! When not at RDA, Lizzie loves playing music (which she studied at university), is learning horseback archery, and spends any remaining time collecting weeds for her tortoise, Yoda.

Meet the RDA (Woodbridge & District Group) volunteer coaches

Sharon Evans
Meg Day

Riding Coach

Meg has been around horses since she was 2 years old and later worked with horses. She joined the RDA team in 2021. Meg is a qualified RDA riding coach and can usually be found at Clopton 3 days a week, when she is not coaching she spends time pampering Bea.

Sharon Evans
Sharon Evans

Riding Coach

Often seen with two pairs of glasses on her head, Sharon loves being part of the riding coaching team. “It's absolutely fabulous seeing how horses help people relax, build their self-confidence, learn something new, and even reduce some aches, pains and stiffness”, she says. By the way, Sharon loves making things for riding sessions. Look out for the washing machine!

Ty Hearne
Ty Hearne

Carriage Driving Coach

Ty started riding with an RDA group at 3 years old due to Cerebral Palsy. She joined our group as a volunteer in 2017 as she wanted to give back something of what she had been given as a child. She qualified as a driving coach in 2020 and is now in training to become a riding coach as well. She is very passionate about riding and driving, and loves spending time at Clopton riding, driving or just pampering Mr Tom.

Ty Hearne
Mel Linnett

Riding Coach

Mel started volunteering with us in 2023 after her children had flown the nest. She says that joining the RDA team has given her many opportunities and much enjoyment. Having qualified as a riding coach training she is currently training to become a driving coach too! She has many years experience working as a nursery nurse and also spent time as a youth worker. Mel can be found at the RDA on Fridays and Saturdays.

Caitlin Morrow
Caitlin Morrow

Carriage Driving Coach

Caitlin has been involved with horses since she was six and has been volunteering with us for over 10 years now, assisting with the riding sessions on Saturdays. In September 2022 she qualified as an RDA driving coach and is now the coach for Saturday afternoon driving sessions for under 18s.

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