A blessing to say thank you to the animals at Riding for the Disabled school

The animals at Priory View Riding for the Disabled are ready for the festive season after their Christmas blessing at the weekend. Chief coach Judy Dickens said: “It’s an annual event. We bless all the horses in the riding school and we invite people to come and join us . “Sewerby Methodist Church choir led the carol singing, Father Christmas paid us a visit and the riders all received presents, while other children were given a bag of sweets.

“We have a lot of regulars who come every year and it really gets them into the Christmas spirit. They say it starts their Christmas celebrations.

“It was a really happy event.” More than 100 people attended this year’s event and two members of clergy - one Church of England and one Methodist - blessed the 11 horses at the school at Milholme Field Farm at Speeton.

The school regularly welcomes 18 riders, with a range of physical and mental disabilities and learning difficulties, aged from five to 78, and from the Scarborough, Filey, Bridlington and Driffield areas. PICTURE: Judy Dickens prepares Murphy for the Christmas blessing event. Photo by Richard Ponter (185002a)