Well in keeping with the day the Cowra Men's Probus Club conducted a sweep on the Melbourne Cup.
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Although this was a little different as they had a Phantom race call by Larry Walsh.
Before we had the exciting Phantom call the club had the privilege of inducting two new members, Bob Morgan and Janos Varga.
Other items of note were that the normal meeting of the club will be December 5 and conclude with a barbeque lunch and two days later there is to be a 'Mystery Tour'.
There will be no mystery about the lunch which is to be at the Gooloogong Country Club, but the rest of the day will be a mystery.
There was much excitement during the call of the race and at the conclusion the winners were paid.
Special guest in keeping with the theme of the day
Following Larry's call we were then educated about the Cowra Riding for the Disabled with an interesting talk given to the club.
There were three members of the RDA present, being Joy Webster, Jenny Wright and David Hawkins, and they presented the members of the Probus Club with the history and functioning of the job they do with the handicapped.
The concept of Riding for the Disabled came originally from the ancient Greeks where soldiers who had bad injuries were helped and given confidence by teaching them riding skills and so it continued as a therapy for injured soldiers.
After the Helsinki Olympic Games RDA groups were beginning in countries in the western world. In NSW there were 34 RDA centres and in 1993 Mr Len Crowe started Cowra RDA with four horses and a small band catering for 10 riders.
The Cowra centre is in the showground and shares facilities with the Cowra Pony Club and as advised by Len Crowe's daughter Jenny the club will soon have a covered training facility.
At the moment the Cowra centre provides programmes for five schools and home schooled with over 70 participants.
The Cowra centre is self funded and gets a lot of support from the community with its Opportunity Shop in Kendal Street and from cooking BBQs outside Bunnings once a month.
There is a quote from Winston Churchill which sums up the whole purpose of the RDA.
"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of man"
There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of man
- Winston Churchill
After a lively question time the speakers were thanked by Allan Vorias.
