Exceptional equestrians share stories that inspired them to take on London Marathon
A young event rider is running the TCS London Marathon in support of the mountain rescue team that came to her aid after a riding accident.
Freya Donoghue, 21, was out hacking in November 2019 when she was knocked off by a tree.
“I live in a remote area in North Yorkshire and the ambulance service couldn’t access me up the hill,” she told H&H.
“The Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team used the What3Words app to find my exact location and sent a team out.
“I am so grateful to have walked out of hospital and be back doing what I know and love – riding and running – even more so knowing that others around me have not been so lucky.”
Freya’s mother, Liz, spoke to H&H at the time, to raise awareness of the location app what3words, which helps emergency services pinpoint people in difficult to reach areas.
Freya was accepted into the marathon through the ballot, which means that raising money is not a requirement of entry, but she has chosen to do so.
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“I applied for the London Marathon for a personal achievement, but also to raise money for the Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team to repay them for their amazing work,” said Freya.
She added that she has been in touch with the team frequently since her fall and wants to do anything she can to help the volunteer-run group, which relies solely on donations.
“I would absolutely love to reach my target for the team as without them, I may not have been so lucky to be running this marathon,” she said.
- Visit Freya’s fundraising page at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/freya-run-the-london-marathon
H&H has previously reported that reigning European champion Ros Canter will take on the marathon 10 days before her tilt at reclaiming the Mars Badminton Horse Trials title.
Ros first signed up for the marathon with Saffron Cresswell, before the latter’s life-changing fall at Bramham. She is now running the marathon in support of Saffron to raise money for Spinal Research.
“Saffron is a constant source of motivation in my training,” said Ros, adding that every time she thinks about walking, “Saffron pops into my mind”.
Ros will be supported on the day by her five-year-old daughter, Ziggy.
“Ziggy and Chris, my husband, will be coming to watch. I’ve probably spent more time seeing where the best place is for a child to watch than anything else,” said Ros.
“She’ll be a bit of a handful, but she’s determined she thinks she could run with me.”
- Support Ros at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rosalind-canter-1735324195548
Rider Rachel Punch is raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of three family members.
“The first time I ran the London Marathon was back in 2004. Sadly my father was terminally ill with a brain tumour that year and whilst I had some village friends around me that day there was no family or friends,” she said. “I then stopped running and didn’t pick it up again for 15 years, when my sister realised that the London Marathon in 2020 would be on her 50th birthday and thought it would be fun if we did it together.”
The three sisters all entered, but only Rachel got a spot, and the others continued to support her through training.
“I eventually ran in October 2022, due to the pandemic deferrals, and it was such a special day with all my family and sisters cheering me on,” she said.
“I’ve been lucky again with another ballot place this year and can’t wait to experience the best marathon in the world on 27 April.”
Rachel was set to warm up by representing Rugby Riding Club at a dressage championships.
Rachel and her mare, Annie, were entered in an elementary class at the British Riding Clubs intermediate dressage championships earlier today (Saturday, 26 April) before zipping down to London tonight.
- To support Rachel, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rachel-punch-2
Student Lucy Thompson will hot-foot it from the Marathon to compete at university riding regional championships three days later.
Lucy, who is studying for an adult and mental health nursing degree at Exeter, balances her education with managing her own four horses, running, and university riding. She is running for mental health charity Mind.
“Mental health issues can affect anyone at any time,” she said. “As equestrians, we are often alone in the depths of winter and are known as being stoic, but I wanted to raise awareness for people struggling with their mental health that there is support out there.
“Training in the winter has been tough, often in the dark or in the rain but it has been a great addition to my hectic schedule. Running has given me a purpose alongside the horses, and I cannot wait to run on Sunday.”
- Visit Lucy’s fundraising page at: https://2025tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/lucy-thompson
Sarah Lintott has found riding has helped her training as she prepares to make her London Marathon debut.
“In my 50th year I decided to do what I have wanted to do since uni – run the marathon,” said Sarah.
“I managed to get a charity place running for the fantastic charity The Circulation Foundation, to help raise awareness of vascular disease.”
She added: “Riding has played a big part my training, not just by helping to build up my fitness – especially the core and leg workouts thanks to Lois Hart Dressage and LB Equestrian – but also mentally.
“My boy Jasper has been a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on many times along with loads of encouragement and support from my equestrian buddies, who also think I am nuts to be running this!”
- Support Sarah at: https://2025tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/sarah-lintott
Scottish-based rider Anna Conlon has been juggling training with caring for her two horses, competition, and working full-time. She is fundraising for Myeloma UK, which she said is a charity that has affected her family directly and she would love to give back.
- Visit Anna’s fundraising page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/anna-conlon-london-marathon
A team of eight runners will take on the 26.2-miles for The Donkey Sanctuary.
Maria Vaughn, will travel from Rayne in Louisiana, US, where she has nine donkeys, along with mules, horses, and other animals. She rescued her first donkey, Molly, in 2012, and is passionate about equids.
Luke Roche from Stonehouse in Gloucestershire will be pulling on his running shoes in memory of his late grandad, who loved donkeys and the charity.
“Seeing the incredible care and dedication the teams provide every day made a lasting impression on me, and I knew I wanted to contribute to such a meaningful cause in my grandad’s memory,” said Luke.
“He always said, ‘Donkeys deserve to be loved,’ a sentiment that has stayed with our family.”
The team also includes one of the charity’s welfare advisors, Jess Bush.
Jess said: “I wanted to run the marathon for The Donkey Sanctuary, as I want to raise as much money as I can to help towards the care of the donkeys we support, both in our sanctuary and the community. Also running for the charity I work for feels amazing and close to my heart.”
- Visit the team’s fundraising page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/donkeysanctuary-london-marathon-2025
Are you a rider and running the London Marathon on Sunday? Or someone running for an equestrian cause? Let H&H know for possible inclusion in a follow-up after the race at lucy.elder@futurenet.com
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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.