Showjumper raises thousands for charity by cutting her hair

Buckinghamshire showjumper Emma McGlynn has raised nearly £2,500 — more than double her original target — after having a whopping 15 inches of hair cut off for charity.

The 28-year-old rider organized “Emma and Ellie’s Big Chop” on Tuesday, 31 January, in aid of the Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides real hair wigs for children suffering from hair loss.

On the big day she headed to Jon Russell Hair & Day Spa in Bicester, Oxfordshire, and ended up having well over a foot of hair cut off — which the salon owner generously agreed to do free of charge.

Emma preparing to have her long plait cut off. It will be made into a wig by Little Princess Trust

“The worst part was the noise and the feeling of the clippers cutting my plait off — it was like when you’re under local anaesthetic and you can’t feel any pain but know exactly what’s going on!” said Emma. “Jon kept saying to me ‘Just think what you’re doing this for’ and it helped me forget what was happening — which is absolutely nothing compared with what the person my hair was going to has endured.

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“I felt really sad when I washed my new hair for the first time but I keep reminding myself where it’s going to keep perspective. But the best feeling was when I went to the post office to send off my hair to the charity. Normally they ask you what’s in the package and the value of it and I was looking forward to telling her, but she didn’t ask. So I just blurted out ‘That’s my hair in there!’”

Emma before she had her hair cut for charity

Donations are still rolling in, but the equestrian world has rallied round to raise around £2,300 — well above Emma’s initial target of £1000.

Emma’s inspiration came from seeing her friend battle breast cancer.

“She told me the worst thing about the whole experience was waking up in the mornings and looking back at all her hair that was left on the pillow,” Emma told H&H.

“That really hit me because I put myself in her shoes and the reality is, it could happen to any one of us.

“Someone dies of cancer in the UK every four minutes, so I’m trying to get as many donations as possible to help researchers eventually one day find a cure to stop our loved ones dying of this awful, cruel disease.”

It’s not too late to donate, head to Emma’s JustGiving page if you’d like to make a donation.

Jennifer Donald

H&H showjumping editor

Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.