‘We hope others may be able to follow our lead’: feed business donates £5,000 to equine charity facing tough times
Horse feed manufacturer Spillers has donated £5,000 to Redwings Horse Sanctuary, following news of the potential closure of two of the charity’s centres.
The charity has started a consultation process concerning the future of two of its visitor centres: Redwings Mountains in Fofar, Angus, and Redwings Oxhill in Warwickshire, owing to rising costs.
The funding will go towards continuing the charity’s equine welfare services and rehabilitation programmes.
“This generous donation from our loyal supporters at Spillers will help us to continue to deliver frontline welfare services and care for horses, ponies and donkeys in need while the consultation process goes ahead to decide on the closures,” said Nic Lowry, Redwings’ executive director of income and engagement.
“We very much hope that other kind-hearted organisations and individuals may recognise the urgency and make donations to help us navigate this worrying situation.”
Spillers has supported Redwings for more than 20 years.
Claire Dyett, marketing manager at Mars Horsecare, home of the Spillers brand, added: “We are pleased to be able to help Redwings at such an important and difficult time and hope that other organisations may be able to follow our lead and donate too.
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“Every day this wonderful charity carries out invaluable work, providing safe homes and specialist care for rescued horses who might otherwise have nowhere else to go.
“We hope our contribution will help them maintain services at this challenging time and continue making a difference where it matters most.”
Redwings has confirmed that donations like this are gratefully received and will help stabilise operations during these uncertain times and direct resources to where demand is highest.
Burghley names charity of the year
Defender Burghley Horse Trials has named World Horse Welfare as its official charity for the 2026 event (3 to 6 September).
The charity will raise money and awareness of its work during the event and have a themed cross-country fence, and visitors can add a voluntary donation when buying tickets.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with such an important charity, which has achieved so much for horse welfare over the years,” said Burghley event director Martyn Johnson.
“World Horse Welfare is the only horse charity dedicated to helping every single type of horse, including those in leisure and sport.”
World Horse Welfare patron Esme Higgs will also be launching a new initiative from the charity on Burghley’s insights stage.
“World Horse Welfare has always been a charity close to my heart, but it wasn’t until I rehomed Duke that I truly experienced the transformative impact of their work,” said Esme.
“Through Duke, I have seen first-hand how their dedication changes horses’ lives for the better. He has brought immense joy to me, my family and my other horses and we are proud to honour World Horse Welfare’s promise of providing him with lifelong security.
“I am delighted that World Horse Welfare is celebrating its vital rescue and rehoming work as charity of the year at the 2026 Defender Burghley Horse Trials and I hope the thousands of equestrians attending will visit the stand to discover whether they might find a new friend among the horses and ponies looking for a loving home.”
The charity’s chief executive Roly Owers added that as long-time partners of Defender Burghley Horse Trials, World Horse Welfare is “delighted to further cement this relationship”.
“In the UK, the rescue and rehoming of horses in need is a vital aspect of our work, particularly at this time of the year, with a lack of forage such an issue, and when reports of welfare concerns are often at their highest,” he said.
“We aim to use this significant opportunity to highlight the value of rehoming from our charity and the valuable role World Horse Welfare companions play in being friends to horses and humans alike.
“When horse welfare is prioritised, equestrian sport such as eventing is such an extraordinary demonstration of the horse-human relationship and we look forward to seeing this in action during this year’s event.”
YETI pledges support for volunteers
British Eventing (BE) and outdoor brand YETI have joined forces to launch a “refreshed YETI Bun Run” – fuelling volunteers with tea and cake this season.
Volunteers will be familiar with the bun run – the welcome sight of food and drink delivered to wherever they are posted around an event site. In 2026, YETI will support the bun run at 10 BE fixtures. This will include providing a BE-branded YETI Tundra 65 cooler to transport the food and drink to volunteers on the cross-country course. One volunteer at each event will also win a YETI prize package.
“Eventing volunteers face the same tough conditions our products are built for,” said Shaye Widger, community marketing equestrian specialist at YETI.
“YETI is proud to support British Eventing and celebrate the volunteers whose passion and dedication power these events all season long.”
British Eventing chief executive Rosie Williams added: “Our volunteers are the backbone of British Eventing, and the bun run has always been a powerful symbol of how our community looks after one another.
“Partnering with YETI allows us to elevate this much-loved initiative while celebrating the spirit of our sport – resilience, teamwork and a shared love of the outdoors.”
O Beach comes to Epsom
Epsom Downs racecourse and beach club O Beach Ibiza have signed a deal for the Betfred Derby Festival (5 to 6 June).
O Beach Ibiza is set to bring its “daytime party experience” to Galileo’s, a new marquee in the grandstand enclosure at the racecourse, on both days of the festival. It will be open to all grandstand ticket holders and will also host an after party.
Jim Allen, general manager at Epsom Downs, said: “This partnership marks an exciting step in how we continue to evolve the Betfred Derby Festival.
“Working with O Beach allows us to enhance the grandstand experience with high-quality entertainment that appeals to a younger audience, while remaining true to the heritage of the event.
“We are excited to work with the team and bring this vision to life in 2026.”
O Beach owner Tony Truman added: “Epsom is such a special one for me, so bringing the O Beach vibe to the Derby Festival feels like the perfect fit.
“It’s a legendary weekend with huge heritage and a brilliant crowd, and we can’t wait to create an experience that feels exciting, premium and full of energy – the kind of celebration people will talk about long after the last race.”
Christian Kukuk joins Longines
Olympic gold medal-winning German showjumper Christian Kukuk has joined watchmaker Longines’ team of supported riders.
“I am honoured to be named a Longines athlete. The brand has a long history with equestrian sports and its commitment to precision, elegance and performance resonates deeply with me. It’s a privilege to represent these values,” said Christian.
Longines chief executive Patrick Aoun said: “Christian’s career reflects the very essence of our brand, a constant pursuit of precision, performance, and elegance.
“At Longines, we believe that true elegance goes beyond appearance: it is a way of being, a mindset. Christian captures this spirit in everything he does, and we are proud to welcome him to our team of equestrian athletes.”
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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.