Riders go eventing on foot for charity
A team of four intrepid jockeys from Milton Keynes will be taking part in this weekend’s three-day event on foot.
Heading up the team is Milton Keynes Eventing Centre owner Fiona Gifkins. She will be joined by her sisters-in-law Wendy and Jenny Austen and course builder Nick Bigley in the charity fundraiser.
The four aim to raise £1,000 for the air ambulance serving Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Eventer Wendy Austen was rescued by air ambulance after falling off her horse last year. She has learnt to walk again after the accident and is nearly off her crutches.
The four will do a synchronised dressage test on the Thursday of the unaffiliated event (17-20 September).
On the Friday they will take part in the trot-up and on Saturday will walk 11km of the roads and tracks and cross-country phase.
On the final day they will hope for a clear round over 2ft3in showjumping course.
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“None of us have got horses to do the three-day on and we just thought after too many Pimms, why not take part on hobby horses for charity,” Fiona told H&H.
After nearly 30 years of hosting horse trials at the venue, this will be the last one as the owners have applied to have a wind turbine on the the cross-country course. The centre will continue to run camps and training.
To donate visit: www.justgiving.com/Mkec/
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