History of the Stella Hancock Group
Ron Hancock took up the reins, as the first Chairman of the new West Horsley RDA Group at in 1969. Riding lessons started at Hillside Farm, the lovely home of Ron and Stella, but the group soon outgrew the farm and moved to Wyvenhoe. The Princess Royal came to open the new tack room there, and in the car on the way with Ron and Stella, she said that her Father, the Duke of Edinburgh, had commented that driving would better for some disabled people. After watching a demonstration given by Nancy Pethic and Neil Portsmouth, during an RDA conference at Stoneleigh in 1975, Stella drew up plans to include driving in the West Horsley Group. Stella arranged a visit to the Sandhurst Group and Nancy Pethick's donkeys. Stella, Sarah, Garnett and Felicity Andrews went over to Ascot where the group had moved to, and observed these wonderful ladies giving drives to their disabled drivers, on a leading rein. On the way home they said it just HAD to be better with ponies.
In March 1976 the driving section of the Horsley RDA Group started sessions at Hillside; Stella was the leading light and Ron had the contacts and was the financial support. A special vehicle designed by John Wilks to take a wheelchair, called the Jubilee cart was made, and approved of by the RDA. Jack Burrill, Surrey BDS Area Commissioner, bought one for the group. These first carts were bought with money raised by a BDS drive to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. BDS members drove in relays from the South of England and Northern Ireland, to Balmoral in Scotland, where they were received by the Queen and Prince Philip. The drive began in April and finished in October.
Achievements
1984 Gill Jones drove Felicity Andrews pony Star at the Lord Mayor's Show. The group ponies were stabled at the Royal Mews! Paul de Vere drove Jack Burrill's well known pony Justin. The group did a musical drive at the World Championships at Ascot and also at Olympia at the Christmas Show representing the RDA in the same year.
1983 The West Horsley Driving Group decided to take over it's own finances. The group took part in a driving demo at the Royal Mews for physiotherapists who came from all over the world.
1984 Patients from RAF Chessington joined the group.
1986 the group was chosen to represent the driving side of RDA at the Christmas show Olympia, to mark the 21st Anniversary of the Association.
1987 It was decided that the driving group would operated separately from the riding group. Richard Pitman was the guest speaker at the 10th Anniversary Celebration Dinner
1988 Members were devastated by the news that Stella Hancock had died in Australia, on February 15th and it was decided to rename the group in her name.
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