Two children will be joining London’s New Years Day parade thanks to the generosity of a fellow horse lover.
Ellouise, 11, (pictured, right) and her sister Darcy, seven, (pictured, above) from Stoke-on-Trent, will be riding in the parade on 1 January, 2016, thanks to the help of Eliza Poulton.
The girls came close to losing out on the opportunity when both their ponies sustained injuries.
Eliza, who works for her father at Poulton Racing, in Lewes, East Sussex, heard about the family’s disappointment through a friend.
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She stepped in to provide two of her own ponies for them to ride instead.
“They’ve wanted to be involved in the parade for quite some time,” the girl’s father Andrew Pritchard told H&H.
“The ponies both went lame last month, we think they kicked each other. We’ve been trying to find replacement rides for weeks and then Eliza came to the rescue and is letting us use two of her horses.
“The girls are absolutely elated. We hadn’t spoken to Eliza until the other night— it goes to show how generous people in the horse world can be. It should be a fantastic event.”
During the parade 64 horses and ponies will take to the streets of London, alongside jugglers, cheerleaders, acrobats, clowns and marching bands.
Riders, from six-year-olds to pensioners, will be travelling from as far afield as Belgium to take part in the annual event.
The equestrian element of the parade starts at 11.45am at Piccadilly Circus and finishes at parliament, with the return route back via Horse Guards, The Mall and Buckingham Palace.
For 2016 the theme will be A Magical Thirty Years to celebrate the parade’s 30th year.
“They were desperate to take part so I have leant them two of my ponies, Jelly and Billy,” added Eliza.
“I will be walking with them and it will be good to watch them in the parade.”
