Top event rider Mary King has become the first ever equestrian ambassador for welfare charity the Blue Cross.
Mary, who has represented Great Britain at six Olympics between 1992 and 2012, winning team silver in 2004 and 2012 and team bronze in 2008, has been a “keen supporter” of the charity for many years and will help to raise the profile of its important welfare work in the UK.
Mary King riding Blue Cross Taran
Mary has supported the national equine welfare survey which was organised by the charity and has ridden a Blue Cross horse called Sheridan around part of Badminton “although admittedly not over any of the cross-country jumps”.
Mary said: “I am truly thrilled to take on the role of equine ambassador for Blue Cross. I have immense respect for their welfare and rehoming work and hope that I will be able to help raise their profile in many ways.
“I am particularly excited about spreading the word about this year’s Christmas Dinner project which aims to make sure all the horses at the Blue Cross Burford centre get some festive spirit and plenty of love on Christmas day.”
Senior horse rehoming manager Rosie Mogford said: “We are honoured and excited that Mary has agreed to become our first ever equine ambassador. She is one of the most accomplished and admired riders in equestrian sport and we could not wish for a better representative to support our welfare work.”
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Blue Cross runs two horse welfare centres in Oxfordshire and Staffordshire where neglected, abandoned and unwanted horses and ponies are rehabilitated and then rehomed. The charity also operates a Home Direct scheme to help owners find suitable new homes for their horses, if they can no longer keep them.
The Christmas Dinner project is a scheme launched by the charity to provide pets with a “hearty Christmas Dinner”. Blue Cross is asking for a donation of £1 to help fill a horse’s bowl this Christmas.
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