A branch of the Pony Club has issued an urgent appeal for information after a trailer holding £10,000 of showjumps was stolen.
The showjumps and bespoke trailer belonging to the VWH Hunt branch of the Pony Club were discovered missing from a yard at Draycot Foliat, Wiltshire, on Saturday morning (23 February).
Sarah Gray, a committee member, told H&H: “The jumps were kept in a barn with secure steel door. A lot of damage has been caused – someone prised open the door and once inside a big roller door was opened.
“The jumps are kept on the trailer which is big and would have needed something chunky to tow it – it weighs around three tonne and is 15 feet long. Someone just hooked it up and went.”
The full set of showjumps included 19 pairs of wings, 36 poles, fillers, gates, and cups.
Credit: JSW 4 Jumps Ltd
“It was our posh set of showjumps which we use for our annual show on 27 May. If the jumps are not found we’ll need to look at hiring but the income from the show will be massively affected – the show is supposed to be a fundraiser and we’ll obviously be raising a lot less if we need to hire jumps,” said Sarah.
“We’re really cross. The jumps were bought with money from donations, which makes it even worse; that people gave money for them and now they’ve been pinched.”
“Some of the personalised fillers with the VWH Hunt logo were found by the police near the yard along with a sign from the trailer. The people obviously intend to sell them on – the trailer is now unmarked and anything identifiable has been dumped.”
Eventer feels ‘violated’ after theft of 16 saddles worth £18,000
Thieves target charity four times in eight months
Subscribe to Horse & Hound this spring for great savings
Joint district commissioner Georgie Davies said: “The VWH is devastated by this theft, not least because the loss of the jumps jeopardies Kemble Show, our largest fun event for the local riding community and the highlight of our year. The show has taken place on May bank holiday Monday for over 20 years and been loved by generations of Pony Club families. Also at risk are the three summer camps which we run for all members, aged from under five to over 20. This pre-meditated act has deprived the children and shocked us all”
A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said the burglary occurred between 2pm on February 21 and 9.30am on February 23.
“Anyone with any information about suspicious activity in the area between these dates should call 101 and quote crime reference number 54190018360,” he said.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
