In memory of George Crawford: hundreds gather to pay tribute to young rider
More than a thousand people travelled to Scotland to pay tribute to talented young rider George Crawford.
George, 20, died on 7 October after he was hit by a car while walking back to his university halls.
A service of thanksgiving was held at Melrose Parish Church on 30 October, attended by close to 1,200 friends and family.
Leading figures in the eventing and equestrian world, including Caroline Powell, Paul Hodgson and Nicola Wilson, were among those to pay their respects.
A bus of 46 students from Harper Adams, where George had just started, made the six-hour journey to honour their friend.
Among the tributes was a letter from friends in Australia, where George spent the summer on a cattle station as a teenager. They remembered how George had galloped home to get help after one of the horses was bitten by a snake while mustering cattle.
The collection raised £5,600, which will be split between the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) and the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF).
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“We are planning a fundraiser next year and will be setting up a charity in George’s memory,” George’s father, Cameron Crawford, told H&H.
Sadly the family’s dog, Alfie, who had been unwell since George’s accident, was diagnosed with cancer and died on Thursday.
“They were inseparable when George was at home and had many adventures together,” said Mr Crawford.
The family took Alfie to visit George’s grave before he “whistled him up to the sky”.
Hundreds of tributes poured in following the tragic news of George’s death.
The talented rider had success on the pony racing and eventing circuits and was also a skilled sportsman.
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Tributes paid to courageous and talented young rider who died after being hit by car
George Crawford’s father has remembered his son as a wonderful young man who enriched the lives of those around him
Mr Crawford remembered his son as a “multi-talented, cracking young man with a twinkle in his eye” and a magnetic personality that would “draw the best out of people”.
Donations in his memory can be made to the IJF and RDA.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.