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Princess Royal boosts disabled riding centre

DISABLED riders gave a demonstration for the Princess Royal at the Cobbes Meadow centre near Canterbury. Princess Anne travelled by helicopter to the Chartham group of Riding for the Disabled to help celebrate its purchase of the building at the former St Augustine's Hospital site in which it has been run for almost 20 years.

After watching displays of riding and driving the horses, the Princess unveiled a plaque to commemorate the occasion. She s patron of Riding for the Disabled Association and visited the Cobbes Meadow group when it first moved to the grounds of St Augustine's Hospital in 1984.

Committee member Diana Burford, who sat with Princess Anne during the displays, said: "I told her about the riders, what their disabilities are and how they coped with the horses. She is so down to earth, she is just normal."

The Princess presented a green rosette to each rider, and awards to several long-standing helpers. The group runs classes for 50 children and 30 adults, many of who travel to the centre from as far away as Ashford and Faversham.

Later the Princess visited Stelling Minnis where she opened low cost homes and spoke at a Rural Housing Trust seminar in the village hall. She also had tea with villagers before leaving for a third appointment at The Mansion. Port Lympne wild animal park.

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