Riders cover 150 miles for charities

A GROUP of riders arrived at Fontwell racecourse recently having undertaken a 150-mile charity horse ride from Devon to raise money for the The Injured Jockeys Fund and Bob Champion Cancer Trust.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Sep 2010, 13:22 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 03:21 BST

Bob Champion, who won the Grand National on Aldaniti, after recovering from cancer, saw the riders off at Cullompton in Devon six days previously. Heather Parr drove an all-important back-up vehicle, as she has done for the last half dozen of rides undertaken by Michael Bickell.

Michael had been joined for this year’s ride by Amanda Denny and Deborah and Harriette Kivell, and the finish coincided with the Thursday evening race meeting at Fontwell Park and the opening of a new grandstand.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The ride had started at Chris Down’s Upton Farm Racing Yard near Cullompton the previous Saturday and they were joined for the final lap by former jockey Bill Smith, now Master of the Hursley Hambledon Hunt foxhounds, at Hambledon. They had spent the last night there before riding on to Fontwell.

Racegoers at Fontwell gave generously to the riders and money is still coming in from the event which is expected to raise significant funds for the two charities. It will add to £863 collected by Michael at an end of season point-to-point at Umberleigh, Devon.

Related topics:DevonBob Champion