A rider plans to hack naked through a town centre to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support — and if she raises enough, her boyfriend may join her in a mankini.
Christie Mclean and her Welsh section D gelding Coalman will be emulating Lady Godiva through Dursley on Saturday, 19 June, “come rain or shine”.
Christie told H&H she raised some £800 last year for the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children by completing the tough Dursley Peaks 10km run.
“It would be amazing to smash that for cancer this year,” said Christie, who has already raised over £450 on her JustGiving page.
“My sister-in-law has just had her first operation to remove her cancer, we lost our friend Francesca to it last year and I’ve lost two uncles in the last year. I know a four-year-old child who had cancer last year, that’s why I was raising money for the hospital. Cancer is always there, all the time, and charities are really struggling at the moment.”
Christie works for the Greene King pub chain, which she says raises money for charity every summer.
“I was talking to my friend, who was coming up with ideas like bouncy castles, and I said what about if I did something on my own,” Christie said.
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“I can’t get my horses involved with anything at work because of the insurance so I said ‘How do you feel about me doing my own thing?’. She asked what I was thinking and I said it would have to be quite ridiculous, a bit out-there and embarrassing.
“I said ‘How would you feel about me riding naked?’ and she laughed and said ‘Are you joking?’, but I really wanted to do something that would catch attention for the charity. If you’re going to do something, do it properly!”
Christie will wear a “tiny” bikini, in Macmillan colours, to avoid any accusations of indecency.
“It had to be super embarrassing, and open myself up to a whole level of online digs but that’s fine; I’ll embarrass myself and really try to get every donation I can for Macmillan,” she said. “So far, it seems a bit of a novelty, and people have been great.”
Christie hopes that the town will be full of people on a summer Saturday, and she hopes to arrive at the pub while fundraising is in full steam to maximise donations.
And should she raise enough money, partner Olly Toms will also be involved.
“He said the other day if I raised enough, he’d come in a mankini,” Christie said. “He’s now saying he doesn’t want to, but I’m sure he’ll do something entertaining, if we get to £1,000. He might have to wear some pants on under the mankini though!”
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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.
