■Head Instructor
I am from the north of England and moved to Hong Kong in 1996. I have been riding and around horses since I was 10 years old, they are my favourite animal. When I left school, I started my career working with horses as a rider and groom but it wasn’t till, I got to Hong Kong that I started to coach, and realised that I really enjoyed it. I have been coaching for many years and gained my BHSAI in 2018. Now I am coaching with the RDA and I find it very rewarding, helping children less fortunate than ourselves and making a difference in their lives.
■ Instructor
I was born and raised a prairie girl in Winnipeg, Canada. I grew up with a love for horses and all animals. In 1995, I moved to Hong Kong and came across RDA in Pokfulam. Volunteering for the organisation became the most rewarding thing I had ever done. For these reasons, I pursued training to become an Instructor for the RDA and became qualified in 1996. In addition to RDA, I became qualified with the affiliated BHS to learn more about the care of horses and teaching. I am very passionate about the welfare of our horses and sharing that passion with the RDA riders.
■ Riding Instructor and Grade 3 Instructor
Simon Ho acquired his BHSAI qualification in November 2013 and has solid experience in training ponies and conducting stable visit tours. Simon Ho is currently responsible for pony lessons in Cantonese as well as fun riding activities. He also joined RDA as a Grade 3 Instructor in 2019.
■ Riding Instructor and Grade 3 Instructor
Mo Mo Lam acquired his BHSAI qualification in May 2017 and is currently responsible for conducting pony lessons in Cantonese as well as horse activities. He also joined RDA as a Grade 3 Instructor in 2017.
■ Riding Instructor and Grade 3 Instructor
David Leung completed all his training in Hong Kong and achieved BHSAI standard in 1999. He is an experienced Riding Instructor and has been teaching the horse and pony lessons in Tuen Mun Public Riding School for many years.He also joined RDA as a Grade 3 Instructor in 2009.
■ Grade 3 Instructor
I have been a RDA volunteer since 2013 and have completed Grade 3 instructor training in 2019. It is a new challenge for me to be a grade 3 instructor but I shall do my best to provide a suitable, safe and happy riding class for the riders. Last but not least, I am glad that RDA not only provides a platform for me to serve the community but also one to enrich my retirement life.
■ Grade 3 Instructor
I started with RDA in 2011 after my retirement. It was another challenge in my life as I never knew horses and therapeutic horseback riding before. RDA provides professional local training and courses taught by overseas trainers for the volunteers. At the same time I learn through voluntary work so that I have qualified a grade 3 instructor in 2019. I hope that what I learn from RDA will be of great benefit to the students.
■ Riding Instructor and Grade 3 Instructor
Raymond Yeung was the first Riding Instructor to acquire the BHSAI qualification successfully in 1995. He received a further training in the UK and passed the BHS Stage IV Riding Exam in 2004. Raymond Yeung shows boundless enthusiasm for the horse show competition in jumping, dressage and one-day events.He also joined RDA as a Grade 3 Instructor in 2009.
■ Grade 3 Instructor
I started to be a volunteer from 1995 in RDA, and I never had a contact with a horse before. I did not have any training at that time, just learning & practicing at the same time due to a lack of volunteers. Since then I have been assisting training new helpers. I got to know RDA from an advertisement in a newspaper, and so learned that RDA provides social activities for people with disabilities and also educates the public to be in touch and understand more about disabled people.
Sadly I have a daughter with a disability myself, and thus feel very strongly about helping others in the same situation.
■ Grade 3 Instructor
I was fortunate enough to grow up close to a horse riding school in my home country Germany, and I spent most of my childhood and teenage years with horses. When I arrived in Hong Kong with my family 15 years ago I immediately got involved with RDA. I enjoy passing on the love for horses, coach the benefits of riding and the interaction to children who usually do not have access to horses.
I continued my life long learning journey and qualified as a RDA Grade 3 coach in 2017 and Equine Facilitated Practitioner in 2024. Besides teaching RDA clients to ride I am equally passionate to engage with clients and horses on the ground in RDA’s “Equine Facilitated Learning” program.
■ Grade 3 Instructor
I have volunteered for RDA for many years. I am a Grade 3 coach, and in the summer of 2024 did RDA UK refresher tests in safeguarding, coach assessors, disability awareness, horse care and RDA Governance. After many years working in insurance, the move to Hong Kong has offered the chance to retrain and am now in my final year studying for a degree in Childhood Studies and Child Psychology. The rewards of working with children to help them enjoy riding, improve their skills and confidence is unbeatable.
■ Grade 3 Instructor
Claire was born and raised in Western Australia, riding horses since the age of 6 and owning her own ponies and horses from the age of 12. Claire trained as a primary school teacher and spent many years in the classrooms and teaching pony club, before having her own two children. Claire’s RDA journey began in Singapore in 2002, after moving there for her husband’s work as a horse vet. There she obtained her RDA coaching qualifications and volunteered on a regular basis. Claire has recently got involved with the RDA in Hong Kong, again enjoying being able to share her love of horses with the many children who benefit so greatly from equine therapy.
■ Grade 3 Instructor
I began volunteering with RDA shortly after arriving in Hong Kong over 8 and a half years ago. I have always had a great passion for horses and have ridden for most of my life, so I was delighted to join the organization as a volunteer and later train to become a coach at Pok Fu Lam.
RDA has proven to be one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. It has provided me with an opportunity to work alongside amazing people and develop as a coach. Working with children has always been something that I have aspired to do and to be able to coach them in therapeutic riding is truly a joy.
I feel the skills that I have gained throughout my professional career and my passion for horse welfare play a key part in my role as a coach with RDA.
■ Grade 3 Instructor
I loved animals since I was a child, and I came across the Hong Kong Riding with Riding for the Disabled Association Ltd. (RDA). I feel that it is very meaningful to be the volunteer with horses to help people in need. I Joined the association as a volunteer in 2019, obtained the BHS Stage 2 Care certificate in 2023, and obtained the RDA grade 3 instructor qualification after being trained by the association’s coaches in the same year.
■ Grade 3 Instructor
I came to Hong Kong from UK in 1993 and worked at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. I started riding again at Pokfulam and Lei Yue Mun stables. I was involved in RDA on and off whilst I raised my three children. I have now been actively volunteering with RDA for over ten years at Pokfulam and Lei Yue Mun. I have a teaching qualification from the British Council and this has helped me with acquiring coaching skills for RDA. I am delighted to become a Grade 3 RDA Coach and am privileged to see the benefits of riding for children of all ages and challenges. RDA enriches not only the riders, but the volunteers and myself as a Coach.
■ Grade 3 Instructor
I joined RDA in 2022 after moving to HK. And I grew up in Co Galway Ireland with horses and ponies, and was a Pony Club member as a child. I completed BHS Stage 3 in Brennanstown Riding Centre, Co Wicklow, Ireland.
I was an Association of Irish Riding Clubs, riding member, coach and secretary for many years for Dalysgrove Riding Club. I competed regularly with my ex-racer up until we moved to HK.
■ Grade 3 Instructor
Jessica Yeung passed the British Horse Society’s junior coach assessment in December 2017. She went to UK for the advanced riding training, and she acquired her BHS Coach in Complete Horsemanship (Stage 3) in June 2024.
Jessica is currently assisting the Riding for the Disabled Association in a range of equestrian activities and trains horses. In 2023, she obtains grade 3 level coaching qualification instructor for the Riding for the Disabled Association. She able to help students in need and gives her a great motivation and satisfaction.