A rider and breeder set to jump bareback in every sense of the word says he is prepared for his own “crown jewels” to take a hammering, to protect other people’s.
Bruce Langley McKim, of Thorpley Stud, will jump one of his stallions tackless and in the buff on Saturday (5 September) in aid of testicular cancer charity Checkemlads.
Bruce told H&H the idea was the result of a dare.
“I must be mad!” he said.
“I always ride the boys bareback, and a friend of mine who’s into natural horsemanship kept saying ‘Take the headcollar off; what are you, a wimp?’ Then she dared me to do it starkers.
“I’d done it tackless, but with clothes on, the other day, so I said ‘fine, I’ll do it’.
“I’m the worst; if you dare me to do something, I have to do it.”
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Bruce, who raised over £2,300 for Cancer Research in April by shaving his head, said such causes are close to his heart, especially after the loss of his friend Rory Gilsenan from a brain tumour, and the experience of another friend, Sophie Walker, who has recently been given the all-clear.
He added that the link between his choice of attire, his mount and the charity is obvious.
“My crown jewels will take a hammering to save other people’s crown jewels,” he said, adding that he hopes to raise at least £1,000, or “£500 per ball”, on his GoFundMe page.
He intends to jump between 1m and 1.10 on Saturday afternoon, on one of his stallions — or possibly on more than one.
“It’ll be fun,” he said. “The worst that could happen is that I’ll sit on the crown jewels, and there’s not much I can do about that; I’ll just have to ride off my thighs and try to get off his back.
“I’ll have the balls to do it — I just might not have them afterwards.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
