How did a little girl growing up in Birmingham with no connection with horses develop a lifelong passion that was to set her on an unswerving path through life? Read how it all started, in this short extract from the beginning of Only Heroes and Horses.

Before Peaches came to live with us she was at another RDA Centre. Then I got a call from a friend there who said Peaches was not happy, and they thought she may prefer to live with us. How right they were!

We were running to raise funds to help keep our hard-working therapy ponies in fine fettle with regular hoof care. So how better to do this than by dusting down our own hooves and pounding the paths around Petersham?

Natalie was interviewed live in the BBC studio on the morning that Only Heroes and Horses was published.

In the week of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee celebrations it’s been announced that the team of volunteers behind Park Lane Stables in Teddington has been recognised with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS).

Only Heroes and Horses, the story of Park Lane Stables, publishes on 26 May and we’re getting very excited! Find out how Natalie ‘an ordinary girl from Birmingham’ ended up running one of London’s few urban stables, about her tenacity in ensuring its survival, and about the biggest challenge of all in 2021 – raise £1million or face eviction.

We will be celebrating Her Majesty the Queen’s Jubilee and also taking the opportunity to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who supports us.

Not long ago we didn’t have a future. Now, with the trust placed in us by all who supported us, we’ve been given not just the ability to buy our home, but to plan ahead with confidence.

Carriage driving is such an important part of what we do, and on 27 March we were named Driving for the Disabled Group of the Year in the 2021 Carriage Driving Awards.

Much of our recent focus has been on the process of securing the Park Lane site, but we thought it was time we gave you an insight into what we’ve been up to daily and weekly, during the busiest few months we’ve ever had.

Last November HRH The Princess Royal, President of the Riding for the Disabled Association, gave her name to a new national Coaching Academy, 50 years after becoming the RDA’s patron.

Natalie O’Rourke’s determination to save Park Lane Stables last year attracted an army of supporters, caught the attention of a nation, and led to spectacular success. Now you can read her story in a new book called Only Heroes and Horses: the heartwarming true story of Park Lane Stables.

As we start planning the refurbishment of Park Lane Stables, which dates from at least 1830, we’ve been delving into its history.

Bushy Park dates back to 1514, when it was enclosed by Cardinal Wolsey out of the old sheep pastures of Hounslow Heath…

We now have our own YouTube channel, where you’ll find videos from the last couple of years, including some of the national TV coverage – and this one, newly added: Horse Listening: Bringing a horse in from the field.

The BBC’s Fiona Lamdin returned to Teddington on New Year’s Day to capture the moment when Natalie explained to family and volunteers that she’d had a letter from the Queen…

Life’s journeys are often described as rollercoasters, but Natalie’s 2021 redefines the term. On the day that she is awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list we look back at a tumultuous year.

On 16 December 2021 we became the proud owners of the Park Lane site in Teddington.

It’s been a long journey but our sights were always set on achieving our goal, and everyone who has encouraged us along the way has helped sustain us more than you’ll ever know.

Teddington Christmas Lights Up 2021 takes over the middle of the town on Thursday 25 November, and we’re looking forward to being in the centre of things once again.

The Birt Spooner award is given by the Riding for the Disabled Association board to someone who has made an exceptional contribution to the work of the RDA. This year that award has come close to home.

Earlier this year, with fundraising in full swing, we were telling everyone we could think of about our campaign. And Caitlin Limmer from the Park Lane team decided to aim high – by writing to Her Majesty the Queen.

Caitlin takes up the story…