16th May 2006
Professional horseracing jockeys may be forgiven for being a little unsteady this month as they exchange horses for humped-back camels at Musselburgh Racecourse to raise awareness for overseas animal welfare charity, the Brooke.
On Monday, 22 May, jockeys will be testing their stamina on four desert-dwelling Dromedaries in a series of heats culminating with the nail-biting 7.40 ‘Brooke Courses for Horses Camel Race’.
Camels - Sophia, Veneta, Kokoso and Ruby - will be entertaining crowds with their style, speed and ability while racegoers will be invited to place bets on their chosen animal.
The unusual racing forms part of Musselburgh Racecourse’s ‘Arabian Racenight’ meeting in aid of the Brooke, the UK’s largest overseas equine welfare charity, where the charity is hoping to raise over £1,000 from a series of collections.
Musselburgh was one of the first racecourses in the UK to sign up for the Brooke’s Courses for Horses Racecourse Club, whereby all 59 UK racecourses have been invited to raise money to help end the suffering of millions of horses worldwide. To date, over three-quarters of the UK’s racecourses have signed up.
Furthermore in a new partnership deal the Brooke’s headline Courses for Horses sponsor, Betfair – the UK’s leading online sports betting exchange - has generously pledged to match every pound generated by each of the racecourses for the Brooke campaign, including Musselburgh.
“We’re delighted to support the Brooke on the 22 May, in their bid to raise money for such a worthwhile cause,” said Claire Sheppard, Musselburgh Racecourse commercial manager.
“We hope the Brooke’s Courses for Horses is a resounding success, and the meeting at Musselburgh raises valuable funds for the Brooke.”
The Brooke runs a network of mobile veterinary teams and veterinary field clinics in developing countries reaching 500,000 equine animals in need every year - animals that support the livelihoods of over three million people. Money raised by Courses for Horses will help the Brooke extend its reach from half a million to five million equine animals that desperately need help in the developing world, in so doing, protecting the livelihoods of many millions of vulnerable people worldwide.
In addition to an evening’s worth of exciting horseracing, the Brooke’s named (horse) race is the second race of the evening, 'The Brooke Charity Maiden Race'.
Editors Notes:
The camels come from Joseph’s Amazing Camels, and are trained by professional animal trainer Joseph Fossett. Sophie and Veneta are double humped Bactrians and originate from Asia, China, Mongolia and the Gobi Desert. Kokoso and Ruby are the one humped Dreomedaries from Middle East and Africa. The first camel race at Musselburgh is at 6.40pm, final race is 7.40pm.
Courses for Horses month is July where members of the public are invited to have their ‘course’ for a horse, with events ranging from cake bakes to hosting their very own Hobby Horse Grand National to sponsored rides and walks. Courses for Horses fundraising packs are available – full of simple, fun ideas including posters, stickers, Hobby Horse Grand National packs and cake bake decorations.
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