A law firm has set up an eventing team to support amateur event riders training and producing their own horses.
The provincial law firm Wosskow Brown is giving nine riders funds to help with training and entry fees through a charitable foundation set up last year.
“People assume horse riders are from privileged backgrounds but many are not and those are the people Wosskow Brown want to support,” said paralegal Annie Everard, a keen eventer and driving force behind Team WB.
Riders must have no other sponsors and be amateurs to apply for support from the Wosskow Brown Foundation.
“We have received over 20 applicants in the past twelve months and would like to expand the team in 2016 with a further eventing team member,” HR director Louise Brown told H&H.
“The foundation is also now looking at the possibility of setting up a showjumping team in 2016,” she added.
At this month’s Chatsworth Horse Trials (15-17 May) three members of the Team WB eventing team will be competing (not pictured).
Katie Patrick, a 19 year-old veterinary student is one of the Team WB members who have qualified for Chatsworth in the one-star.
“The extra training the Wosskow Brown Foundation has provided will definitely make a difference to our performance. We will be aiming to make our sponsors proud,” she said.
Other Team WB members competing at Chatsworth include Sarah Healy, 42 of Bamford who works as a dental hygienist, who is also doing the one-star, and Huddersfield stable groom Hannah Taylor who is competing in the advanced class.
The team’s chef d’equipe is Sally Wood of Matlock, a retired lecturer who began eventing last year aged 59.
After sponsoring Chatsworth Horse Trials last year Wosskow Brown decided to set up an equine section within its sports law department.
Litigator Richard Dale specialises in horse sale agreements and disputes, riding accident claims, livery agreements and stud contracts for stallions, mares and vet.
