A rider given weeks to live has formed a “beautiful friendship” that will allow her charitable legacy to continue.
H&H reported in November that Adele Edwards, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, had fulfilled her dream of riding dressage to music, to raise funds for a trust she wanted to start, to support a friend’s daughter with a brain tumour.
Eleanor Broughton, who runs Foster Equestrian with her mother Tracey, saw the article and asked whether she could send Adele one of the company’s smart saddle pads as a gift.
“I thought it was a lovely, thoughtful thing to do and from there, an amazing friendship has been created,” Adele told H&H.
She explained that she had taken another friend’s daughter, Emilie, under her wing, helping her with her former racehorse, so she asked the Broughtons if she could give the saddle pad to her.
They agreed, and Emilie is now to become Foster Equestrian’s ambassador, as well as an ambassador for Adele’s Princess Wish, which has now raised enough money – £4,907 from the dressage event as well as more from raffles of goods donated by the Broughtons and others – for her to be able to register it as a charity.
On New Year’s Eve, Adele was told by doctors that there was no more they could do, and that she had about four weeks to live.
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“I’m hoping to at least double that, I’m not giving in!” said Adele, who is still riding as much as she can, on her horses Leah and Rocky, as well as working on the charity.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
“I’m keeping going, doing as much as I can; there’s nothing that can be done for me, it’s just a caase of putting everything in place.
“I knew it was coming; as much as you go into denial, you’ve got to face it some time. I wanted to come home from hospital and enjoy what time I had left, and that’s what I’m doing.”
This includes Adele’s aim to compete in a Wrekin North Riding Club show tomorrow (19 January) held in aid of her charity.
“I haven’t left the floor in years,” she said. “But I thought even my Jack Russell could jump round a 40cm course! So I’ll have a trot round, have a go and hopefully inspire others to think ‘if she can do it, so can I’.”
Adele has arranged for Leah to go to her sister, while Rocky is to go back to his breeder, and she hopes the charity will provide a focus for her friends and family when she is no longer here.
“It’s unbelievable how everything’s come about,” she said. “Tracey and Eleanor have been so, so kind; I just wish I’d met them years ago.
“But I’ve got my horses sorted – it’s a massive comfort to know they’ll be loved and not sold on – and it will be a four-way thing, Emilie, my friend Becky, Tracey and Eleanor; they’ll all be in touch and promoting the charity.
“Fate seems to have bought us all together; it’s a shame our friendship will be short-lived, but my legacy will live on with Emilie, Becky and the charity.”
“She really is amazing,” she said. “It’s so hard, knowing what’s going to happen, and it’s going to be so hard when she’s not here.
“Her charity is going to be our designated charity and we’re going to have something like the Willberry ponies; unicorns on a key chain that can attach to the saddle D-rings, to raise money for it, as well as setting up an option on our website for people to add a donation to orders.
“I put a post on Facebook saying ‘When someone walks into your life and you wish you could be friends for ever’, and that’s how I feel.
“She’s so determined and strong and all she wants is to help other people so we’re going to help keep her legacy going.”
Adele is currently running a raffle for five Mirrors for Training arena mirrors, delivered anywhere in the UK, with tickets for £10 each. Anyone who wants to enter should message her Facebook page.
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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.
