Gold day raises £10,000 for ex-racehorse welfare charity

A charity golf day in Oxfordshire on 11 May raised £10,000 for Greatwood the ex-racehorse welfare charity.

Jockeys, trainers and owners played on the red course at Frilford Heath Golf course for the event run by Greatwood’s patrons, racehorse owners Russell and Lesley Field.

The gallant golfers included legendary jockey John Francome, National Hunt trainer, Warren Greatex, Channel 4 racing presenter Mick Fitzgerald and racehorse owner John Hales.

Irish Thoroughbred Marketing sponsored the event for the second year running.

Irish visitors included Charlie McCreevy, Aidan Walsh and representatives for Tattersalls Ireland and Goffs.

Greatwood was set up in 1993 to use racehorses to educated disadvantaged children and young adults with special education needs and disabilities.

An open day is being held on 26 July at the charity’s farm near Marlborough, Wiltshire. Entrance is £10 for adults; children under 12 are £5.

For more information visit: www.greatwoodcharity.org

BETA International 2016 supports The Brooke and Hope Pastures

BETA International’s chosen charities for next year’s trade fair are The Brooke and Hope Pastures, a Yorkshire-based equine rescue and rehoming centre.

Both charities will have information stands at the show and a session in the horse demonstration & seminar area.

“We are extremely pleased that The Brooke and Hope Pastures have accepted our invitation to become chosen charities for 2016,” said BETA International organiser, Claire Thomas.

“They both do a fantastic job – one of the world stage, the other on a more local basis – to improve the lives of millions of equines.”

The Brooke helps nearly 1.5million working equines each year in 11 different countries across the world.

Hope Pastures rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes equines throughout Yorkshire.

The charity’s Kim Pengelly said the charity hopes its presence at the trade fair will “bring us further support and funding to allow us to take care of more animals in need.”

BETA International takes place next year at the NEC in Birmingham from 24-26 January.

Charity race for stable staff launched

A charity race for stable staff is being held at Racing Welfare’s raceday at Doncaster racecourse on 29 June.

The Clock Tower Cup run over seven furlongs is restricted to twelve entrants.

The race is open to stable staff named on the British Horseracing Authority stable staff register, who have ridden no more than three winners under rules and have never held an apprentice of professional jockey’s licence.

Entrants must ride horses trained by their current employer.

The winning rider will be presented with the Clock Tower Cup and take home a pair of boots from Fairfax and Favor and a race exercise saddle from Custom Leather Saddles.

All the sponsorship money raised will be donated to Racing Welfare, the Newmarket-based charity which helps racing personnel in need.

Entries for the race close on 29 May. For more information visit: www.racingwelfare.co.uk

School raises £6,000 for horse rangers

A school in Twickenham presented children’s charity The Horse Rangers Association with a cheque for £6,000 on 11 May.

The charity was chosen by the head boy and girl of Newland House School as this year’s local organisation for parents, staff and pupils to support.

The Horse Rangers Association was nominated for its work in helping special needs children in the local community.

A group of Year 8 boys visited the HRA stables to see an RDA session, meet the staff and the horses last Wednesday (13 May).

The size of the cheque was a “huge surprise” to HRA staff.

Col Geoffrey Godbold, the HRAs director said the funds will be used to buy essential equipment for the RDA programme, put on an open day in June for riders, friends and families and an end-of-year gymkhana.

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Racehorse welfare charity Greatwood, based just outside Marlborough, Wilts, is opening its gates to the public for an open day on Sunday 5 June.

At the family themed day, visitors will be able to find out more about Greatwood’s work, and meet the residents of the charity.

The charity’s Horse Power educational programme uses former racehorses to interact with children with special educational needs in a unique programme.

Attending the day will be supermodel and Greatwood patron Jodie Kidd.

She said: “The open day is an opportunity for the public to find out more about the amazing work of Greatwood, including the Horse Power programme and the rehabilitation and re-homing of former racehorses, while raising funds for a fantastic cause.”
 


A very special guest for the younger visitors, Peppa Pig, will also be appearing at various intervals throughout the day with an opportunity to have photos taken with this hugely popular character.

And other attractions include a display by eventer Andrew Hoy, a parade of greyhounds from the West of England Greyhound Rescue Centre and shopping galore.

Gates open from 11am
and entry is £10 per car.

For further information visit www.greatwoodcharity.org or call Greatwood Charity on 01672 514535.

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Model and horse lover Jodie Kidd is to be the guest of honour at this year’s Greatwood open day.

The open day, on Sunday 5 June, gives visitors the chance to go behind-the-scenes at the Greatwood centre near Marlborough, Wiltshire.

Greatwood rehabilitates and rehomes ex-racehorses as well as helping children with special needs.

A family-themed day visitors will be able to find out more about Greatwood’s work, and meet the residents of the charity.

“This is a great opportunity for the public to find out more about the amazing work of Greatwood, including the Horse Power educational programme for children with special needs, and the rehabilitation and re-homing of former racehorses, while raising funds for a fantastic cause,” said Jodie.

There will also be guest appearances from TV character Peppa Pig and a parade of horses.

For more information visit: www.racehorsesgreatwood.org

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Wannabe jockeys are being offered the chance of lifetime, the opportunity to ride on the hallowed turf of Cheltenham racecourse.

Twelve riders will take part a charity race in aid of racehorse rehoming charity Greatwood.

The race will take place at Cheltenham on Friday, 15 October.

It will be over 1m5f and each rider must raise £3,000 for charity.

The money raised will help Wiltshire-based charity Greatwood rescue and care for neglected and ill-treated racehorses and those retired from racing.

Greatwood also runs a Horse Power programme for autistic children and those with emotional and behavioral problems.

To take part in the race, riders must provide their own horse, which has to be four years old or more and has run at least once under Rules.

For more information tel: 01886 884488 or email sph.oliver@btinternet.com

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Racehorse welfare charity Greatwood is holding an open morning on Saturday 26 September to encourage more people to rehome an ex-racer.

Greatwood, in Marlborough, Wilts, is home to a range of former racehorses, ranging from four to 16-year-olds, from happy hackers to all-rounders, many of which are now available for rehoming.

The morning is designed to showcase the versatility of the thoroughbred and to demonstrate how many of the horses have been successfully retrained.

Helen Yeadon, founder of Greatwood, said: “We have had an unprecedented number of calls this year asking us to take on horses and unfortunately we currently are full.”

“But the staff have been really busy working the horses over the last few months and we thought it would be a good time to show people what we have available.

“We hope to rehome the horses that ready to leave us in order to make room for others that are less fortunate.”

The morning, which will feature ridden demonstrations, will start at 11am and refreshments will be available.

Potential carers need to have had experience in handling thoroughbreds or part-breds.

For more details of requirements visit the website at www.racehorsesgreatwood.org or call 01672 514535.

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H&H racing correspondent Marcus Armytage will be proving his skills on the cricket pitch next weekend as he captains a team of journalists in the Greatwood Charity Cricket Match.

The journalists will take on stars of the horseracing world in the match, which is in aid of the Wiltshire-based charity Greatwood, which cares for retired racehorses.

The match is set to take place on Sunday 21 September at 10.30am at The Challow and Childrey Cricket Club, near Wantage.

The horseracing team will be captained by trainer Oliver Sherwood, brother of former jockey Simon Sherwood who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Desert Orchid.

Players scheduled to appear include Derby-winning trainer William Haggas, Grand National- and Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Kim Bailey, BBC commentator Rishi Persad, trainer George Baker and trainer Nick Gifford, son of Aldaniti trainer Josh and whose sister Tina Cook won two eventing Bronze medals in Beijing.

The officials include trainer Henry Candy as umpire and “The Bearded Wonder”, Bill Frindall MBE of “Test Match Special” fame, as guest speaker and commentator.

Other charities that will benefit are Spinal Research, The Lambourn Valley Housing Trust, Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance and St John Ambulance.

Admission is free. For more information telephone: 01672 514535

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Rachel King, wife of national hunt trainer Alan King, has raised £1,250 for Greatwood Caring for Retired Racehorses by walking the entire length of the Ridgeway National Trail in four days.

Mrs King and friend Deidre Booth trekked 87 miles over four days to raise money for Greatwood.

They presented the cheque to the charity last Friday, 8 February.

Starting at Ivinghoe in Buckinghamshire they walked up to ten hours a day and through five counties over the four days before they reached the end of the Ridgeway in Avebury, Wiltshire.

Mrs King, who is based at Barbury Castle Stables in Wiltshire told H&H: “We live close to the Ridgeway and have always wanted to walk the whole length so we decided to go for it. Our husbands both said we’d have no chance of making it.”

“It was hard work, but there were some fantastic views, especially across the top of Wantage. At the end we were absolutely exhausted — we both had quite a few aches and pains but fortunately no blisters.”

Husband Alan has celebrated many high profile wins with his horses in recent years — including a very successful 2007 Cheltenham Festival with Voy Por Ustedes winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Katchit in the Triumph Hurdle and My Way de Solzen winning the Arkle Chase.

Mrs King said: “The reason we picked Greatwood is because of the industry we are in. At Barbury Castle we have 150 horses in training, so it is a worry what happens to racehorses when they retire and what happens to them.”

Greatwood founder Michael Yeadon said: “We really appreciate the determination that resulted in all those blisters and aching limbs – and of course the cheque!”

Wanting a ‘fresh challenge’ the pair now aim to take part in a half marathon in Reading in March, with funds raised also going to Greatwood.

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