MINEHEAD HARRIERS 2011

MINEHEAD HARRIERS POINT TO POINT AND CHARITY RACE 2011

Charity Race raises
£8,000 for Air Ambulances

At our Point to Point held at Holnicote on Saturday 14th May, the grand sum of £8,000 was raised by Masters and Hunt Staff who represented seven different Hunts who took part in a 10 furlong flat Charity Race.

The Charity Race was held to raise funds for the Dorset & Somerset and Devon Air Ambulances, in memory of Gary Bradley, who as we all know, following an accident on 15th January 2011 sadly died on 26th January.

The Race was won by Fran Bell, Joint Master of the Devon & Somerset Staghounds, riding Nelsons Spice an ex-racehorse owned by Donald Summersgill that has been hunted all season with the DSSH. A Perpetual Rose Bowl was presented to Fran by Gary’s daughter, Nikki. A bespoke Leather Headcollar, kindly donated by the Leather Workshop, Minehead, was also presented to the winner.

Second was Banger Milton, Joint Master of the Dulverton Farmers, riding her own horse Colour Trooper who is a failed racehorse from David Pipe’s yard that has hunted all season with the DF. Banger, too had collected a tremendous sum in sponsorship, £1,700.

Third was are own Richard Tong, riding Charlie Cox’s grey horse Moonlit Knight (better known as Squirrel !) Richard also took the prize for the Most Sponsorship raised, having collected the amazing sum of £2,800.


Richard Tong - Minehead Harriers Huntsman

The Heavyweight Jockey prize was awarded to Andy Fish, Joint Master of the Quantock Staghounds, riding his own hunter, Martins Lad, who has carried Andy all season. Martins Lad was presented with a well deserved bag of Horse Treats !!

Others taking part in the race included:
Craig Rawle, Whipper-in with the West Somerset riding Wizard’s Princess who he has hunted all season.

Emma Cooper, now Stud Groom for the Ledbury but well known to us all. Emma’s own horse had gone lame so an even greater effort on her part to find another horse on which to do the race and to travel from Ledbury to Holnicote to take part. She was cheered on in fine style by young Rosie and Thomas – Go Mummy Go - !!

Jenny Hayes, Joint Master of the Tiverton Staghounds riding Don Vernando, a horse that has been hunted all season with the DSSH by Rupert Andrews!

The Best Turned out prize, kindly sponsored by Event Paramedics, and judged by Eve Webber, was deservedly awarded to the groom of Fran Bell’s horse, Nelsons Spice.

All jockeys were presented with engraved glasses, a memento of the event, most generously donated by Mary Bromiley MBE.

The Churchgate Gallery, Porlock also sponsored framed photos to all jockeys.

Other sponsors of the Charity Race Prizes included:
The Rest and Be Thankful
Equine Tourism
Exmoor Farmers Livestock Auctions
The Lion Inn
Red Stag Safari
Ed Menon – Farrier
Mrs. E. Lang
Helen Blackmore
Dunkery Beacon Hotel
Mark Malin – Farrier
Andrew & Susie Bray
Richard Tong & Sarah Bradley
George Burnell
East Luccombe Feeds
Jeremy Onions

Eve Webber and Margaret Westcott kindly presented the prizes to the jockeys.

The seven jockeys raised £7,625 in sponsorship and with the sale of race cards and the gate collection the final sum is likely to be well in excess of £8,000. A formal presentation will be made to the two Air Ambulance Trusts – details to be confirmed.

Pictures available at www.pt2ptphotos.co.uk

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