16th May 2005
Thousands of Newbury Racegoers Get Behind Working Horse Campaign
Racegoers at Newbury weren’t just putting their money on thoroughbreds last Saturday - they were also backing horses of a very different kind.
As well as betting on the races, punters were digging deep into their pockets, encouraged by celebrities, to help the millions of working equine animals that toil in developing nations.
For the Brooke, the world’s leading charity for the welfare of working horses overseas, had teamed up with Newbury Racecourse to launch Courses for Horses, the first-ever national fundraiser to help the millions of working horses that suffer most in the developing world.
The first race of the day, the ‘Paddy Power Supports Brooke Hospital for Animals Maiden Stakes’, saw Paddy Power of the Irish bookmakers presenting a cheque for £5000 to Mike Baker, Brooke’s Chief Executive, to get the day’s fundraising off to a flying start. Throughout the day race goers heard about the Brooke’s work overseas, and were inspired by a 30 second big screen ad featuring Sir Peter O’Sullevan and John Francome.
The Brooke runs a network of veterinary clinics and mobile veterinary teams in developing countries reaching 500 000 animals in need every year. 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.
Meg Mathews, Brooke’s new ambassador modelled a ‘Courses for Horses’ t-shirt and posed with John Francome and ‘Abbla’, Brooke’s new campaign mascot - a realistic and very moving costume graphically depicting a hardworking horse from the heat and dust of an Indian brick kiln.
Meg said: “I’ve always loved horses and am planning to go to India to go out with one of Brooke’s mobile veterinary teams. It’s hard to imagine how hard horses and donkeys are worked overseas – the pictures I’ve seen are heartbreaking. Some are simply worked to death. I hope everyone will support Brooke’s national ‘Courses for Horses’ day on 11 June. I had a great day with the Brooke at Newbury and I’ll be with them at Sandown Park racecourse on Courses for Horses day, which falls on June 11th.”
Editors Notes:
Courses for Horses is being supported by: British Equestrian Trade Association, the British Equestrian Federation, The Jockey Club, British Horseracing Board, the Racecourse Association, Racehorse Owners Association, and all members of the Horseracing Industry Committee and also The Racing Post, Horse & Rider Magazine, PONY Magazine, Equestrian Trade News.
Courses for Horses events taking place in May and June include Bangor-on-Dee racecourse, 14 May, Brighton racecourse 27 May, Perth racecourse 5 June, Chester racecourse 7 June, Bramham Horse Trials 9 – 11 June, Hexham racecourse 11 June, Sandown Park racecourse 11 June, Jersey racecourse 12 June, Ayr racecourse 18 June, and Hamilton Park racecourse 28 June.
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