The Animal Health Trust (AHT) has teamed up with the Pony Club to raise funds for the veterinary welfare charity through their “Pony Power” raffle.
The raffle, which ran throughout the summer, gave three Pony Club branches and riding centres the chance to win equipment, as well as cash prizes for individual ticket winners.
Stepney Bank Stables, an inner-city community horse project in Newcastle, received the first prize of 12 portable cross-country fences.
The riding centre was nominated as the recipient by one of their visitors, Mark Skinner from Tyne and Wear, who held the winning raffle ticket.
“The prize has made a huge difference to us,” said Stepney Bank Stables manager Susan Tron.
“Not only are the jumps really useful, but it has also raised our motivation to keep doing our job well.”
The Pony Club branches of Minchinhampton in Gloucestershire, and the Tredegar Farmers Hunt in Cardiff, won the second and third prizes, of a jumps trailer and set of show jumps.
Pony Club chief executive Judy Edwards said: “Our association with the AHT is giving our members such an insight into the work of the trust. And these amazing prizes have been an enormous incentive to the branches and centres.”
The AHT, which is the Pony Club’s charity of the year, is working with them to try and raise £100,000 by the end of this year.
If that target is reached, the AHT will name an equine research laboratory after the Pony Club.
“We work hard to protect horses and ponies, so the money the raffle and campaign have raised will be invaluable,” said the AHT’s Andrew Simmonds.
“We were really pleased to be able to offer a raffle to Pony Club members where they stood a real chance of benefiting.”
For information, visit www.ponypower.org.uk
