Burghley Horse Trials raise more than £8,000 for charities

Activities held at the 2009 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials have raised over £8,000 for The Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund (MDIRF) and The East Anglia Air Ambulance.

MDRIF, which provides emotional, practical and financial support to injured riders, collected £1,700 as part of their ongoing 21st anniversary Poundcatcher Campaign by appealing to all riders and handlers to donate at least £1 each.

The charity also received an impressive £6,000 raised by participants of the sponsored ride around Burghley Park on the Sunday of the horse trials.

“At Burghley Horse Trials last year the ride was cancelled due to the wet conditions,” said Rosemary Lang, national co-ordinator for the MDIRF, “and so this year brought in more riders than ever to raise this wonderful amount!”

The East Anglia Air Ambulance also received £1,000, raised by the driving competition “Concours D’Elegance”, which was organised by octogenarian Betty Powell.

“The air ambulance service is run solely by donations, and none of us know when we might need them,” said Betty, a Burghley regular for the last 49 years.

Burghley Horse Trials is a highlight on the equestrian calendar, and despite severe weather conditions and the threat of foot-and-mouth in 2001, has run every year since 1961. Next year, it will be celebrating its fiftieth consecutive running of the event, which will be held from 2-5 September 2010.

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