Te Awamutu Riding for the Disabled coach/manager Rosalie Rea, left, with Jeni Strang.
A minor health hiccup meant that Jeni Strang missed her recent farewell held at the Te Awamutu Riding for the Disabled (RDA) grounds at Kihikihi Domain.
Despite the obvious gap left by her absence, the many volunteers and officials who gathered to mark her retirement after 30 years with the group, 25 of those spent as president, made certain their admiration was noted.
Jeni also spent many years as voluntary secretary for the Equestrian Park and president/booking officer for the Domain Users Group, roles that saw her act as liaison between Waipā District Council and domain users, including rugby, tennis, speedway and five different equestrian groups.
Her tireless efforts established her as a strong advocate for a host of local organisations. Leaving it all behind came as no real surprise.
“Last year, I told the RDA that this would be my final year as president… I wanted to give them time to find my replacement,” she said. “This is the right time for me. My three children live overseas, and I want to enjoy extended visits with them.”
Jeni left on the first of those trips last week. She wants to give her RDA replacement, Penny Harvey, space to find her feet as incoming president but said she would happily help as and when needed down the track.
Head coach and manager Rosalie Rea said Jeni had always been great to work with.
“I was employed as the coach to take over the running of Te Awamutu’s RDA, which made a huge difference to Jeni. She was able to relax as a great deal of the responsibility was then mine,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to see her able to step back knowing she has held things together at a difficult time for RDA Te Awamutu, but also knowing it is in good hands.”
Jeni’s RDA journey started in 1993 when a friend persuaded her to come along to early RDA sessions then held at Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital.
“It was an amazing early introduction for me. Our patients then were a lot more disabled and less able to be helped than they are now,” she said. “When we came into town, initially to the racecourse, we were more accessible to the wider community and could help people with a wider range of disabilities.”
Jeni said the legions of “wonderful volunteers” and support from the community had been crucial in keeping RDA operational through the years. More stringent compliance regulations had made the job more administrative-heavy in recent times, she added, but they ensured both patients and those working with them were safer at all times.
She has found her three decades with RDA extremely satisfying.
“The reward, both for the children and for me, is the reason I have done it for so long. You never forget how it feels to watch young children particularly. They come in frightened of the horses and end up confident and happy. This makes such a difference to their lives.”
