World famous horse trainer Monty Roberts is returning to the UK for his 2012 tour ‘From My Hands to Yours’
We have kindly been offered 2 pairs of tickets to auction to raise funds for Horses Help Heroes for each of the 3 dates of the tour.
Sat 11th February - Bury Farm Equestrian Centre, Slapton, Bucks
Fri 17th February - Henfield Equestrian Centre, Henfield , West Sussex
Sat 25th February - The Hand Equestrian Centre, Clevedon, N Somerset
Guest Appearance from Martin Clunes!
To bid for a pair of tickets please email with your bid for a pair of tickets, the venue you would like the tickets for and a contact number. The bid must be received 3 days before the date of choice to be included in the auction. The highest two bids will receive tickets to the chosen date.
To find out more about Horses Help Heroes please visit our Facebook page or horseshelpheroes.org.uk
After much demand the team has been busy preparing a book that will be published shortly.
We could not have done this without the support and hard work of RPM, a leading experiential marketing agency. RPM have provided their services on a pro-bono basis and no request has been too much for them. We have much to thank them for.
The book will be a photographic record of the challenge itself, as well as the preparation for the challenge and some of the events that the team attended. The majority of the stunning photographs have been supplied by RPM, who sent two photographers (stills and video) to follow the entire challenge.
Here is an image of the front and back covers as it goes off to the printers.
The book has been generously sponsored by Diageo, which will enable the proceeds to go towards supporting wounded servicemen and women. Thank you Diageo!
We will update you with the date when it will be published, but the plan (weather permitting!) is that it will be available before Christmas.
Let’s hope we can add it to your present list.
We would like to thank Lord and Lady Carnarvon for including us in the inaugural Heroes at Highclere day yesterday. There is much to thank them for as not only did they invite us but also donated some of the days proceeds. The day was efficiently organised by Lady Carnarvon’s PA, Candice Bauval, and we would also like to thank her for her help with the organisation.
The event took place in the stunning setting in the parkland of Highclere Castle, which is as beautiful as it is in ITV1′s Downton Abbey. On the whole we were blessed with good weather and it was a huge success.
We were amongst a host of celebrities and the several thousand people attended to watch anongst other things; military hardware such as the Apache and Chinook (photo below); King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery; flypasts by a Spitfire and Vulcan bomber; as well the finale of The Blades aerobatics team.
We were scheduled to be in the arena at 1.30PM for 15 minutes. However, Damian, who was commentating managed to squeeze us into the Battlefield arena for a second time. This time with both Mick Foulds and Matt Wilson on board with Jacks. It was quite a sight seeing the ambulance and horses with Highclere Castle in the background.
A number of people gave up their time to help us with the day and we would also like to thank them – Matt Wilson, Mick and Sue Foulds, Vince and Jane, Phil Scott and his family to name a few. We would particularly like to thank Guy Parry who pulled both the trailer and the merchandising trailer to Highclere; and Lesley Smith who as always worked extremely hard running the merchandising trailer so efficiently.
The final photograph was taken as the Chinook was heading home. The Chinook is the modern day equivalent of the WW1 horse drawn ambulance. The Chinook’s brave aircrews, who are drawn from the RAF, fly into the middle of battlefields in danger of being hit by bullets and RPGs to collect British soldiers, men and women who have either been injured or made the ultimate sacrifice.
Jacks has been invited to give a talk entitled “HHH Come to Malmesbury” at Malmesbury Town Hall, which has recently been restored, on Thursday October 28th 2011 at 7.30pm. Jacks will give a talk for about 45 minutes and then will answer questions for approximately 45 minutes after the interval. We will provide further details on how you can get tickets.
Come and hear Jacks give the inside story on the Challenge. We are not sure whether Chatham House rules will apply.
We are delighted to have been invited to appear at the Heroes at Highclere day at Highclere Castle (Nr Newbury, Berkshire) in 10 days on Sunday 16 October. We would like to thank the Earl & Countess of Carnarvon for their kind invitation and generous support.
The team are very excited to be going to Highclere Castle, where Downton Abbey is filmed. The event will be an action packed First World War themed day. A great day has been organised not only with appearances from members of the Downton Abbey cast, but also many people in period costumes; Kings Troop, Royal Horse Artillery; flybys by a Spitfire; an aerial display by the Blades; and the Horses Help Heroes carriage amongst other events. We also understand that the Castle will be open and based on this video tour with the Countess of Carnarvon as the guide, it is worth a look.
Tickets, From £15 each, with castle entry from £30, can be bought from www.cornexchangenew.com or call 01635 522 733.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Horses Help Heroes, and its chosen charities, were the main beneficiaries of the proceeds from this year’s Badminton Ride, held in the glorious park and the farmland of Badminton Park last Sunday.
Despite the threatened rain moving rapidly from the west 550 riders and their various steeds turned out for this year’s Badminton Ride. A number of the entrants had travelled from as far as Swansea and Pembrokeshire and Nottinghamshire.
His Grace the Duke of Beaufort kindly gave permission for the entrants to complete the 10 mile course with over 30 well built but optional jumps and in front of the famous backdrop of the Badminton House and its lake.
The Badminton Ride was very efficiently organised by Ginny Keen, who was supported as always by her husband David. Thanks Ginny for including Horses Help Heroes in a memorable day, as well as your support during the run up to the challenge. Ginny can be seen in the blue waistcoat reluctantly posing for the photographer in front of our merchandising trailer on the day of the ride.
Jacks’s sister Lesley Smith again giving up her time to run the merchandising trailor on the day. Thanks Lesley!
We would also like to thank Captain Ian Farquhar (photo below) who was until recently Master of the Beaufort Hunt, for his and the hunt’s support before, during and since the challenge.
Thanks to Adrian Long of TTL Videos (Chippenham) who generously provided the photos of Captain Farquhar and the top photo of two of the entrants jumping a log.
We were delighted to be joined by Mark Todd for our trip to the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials last weekend (8-11 September 2011). We would like to thank Fidelity as well as the organisers of the Horse Trials for including us for a great few days.
We would like to thank Mark Todd for his support and the time he has given to the challenge, including training some of our novice riders. Even though he is a Kiwi we want to wish him luck for London 2012, his 6th or 7th Olympic Games – seriously impressive!
We previously tweeted that Goodwood Racecourse had generously agreed to sponsor at their Glorious Goodwood July Meeting. Rumours were that it was at 4.15 but in fact it turned out to be at 4.55.
It was a great day and Jacks, Matt, Colin and Mick clearly enjoyed it along with the 100,000 people who had also flocked through the gates of Glorious Goodwood to enjoy the chic, relaxed and incredibly stylish atmosphere. There were racing highlights every day – including the Sussex Stakes, the Goodwood Cup and the Markel International Nassau Stakes.
The going was Good to Firm, Good in places and Bayleyf, an Irish horse trained by John Best and ridden by George Best a 10/1 shot. Matt, Colin and Mick were delighted to join the sponsors of the race Best Western Hotel in presenting the prizes to the winners.
We would like to thank the organisers at Goodwood for including Horses Help Heroes in Glorious Goodwood 2011.
A huge thanks to The Guards Polo Club who very kindly invited us to be their main charity of the day at the 100th anniversary of The Coronation Cup, between England and Brazil. The event was sponsored by Cartier and attended by HRH Duke of Edinburgh.
Horses Help Heroes supporter Luke Tomlinson led the English team to an 8-7 victory and was awarded the prestigious Cartier Pegasus Award for The Most Valuable Player.
The event attracted 20,000 people and a lap of hour by the carriage was included in the entertainment before the game, which also included salsa dancers and drummers from the
London School of Samba sashayed in front of the Royal Box.
The victorious England took the time to come and see Jacks and the ambulance at the end of play.
Glorious Goodwood is the next event on the agenda and we have been given the honour of having the 4.15 on Saturday 30 July named after the challenge. The 4.15 E.B.F (Schiaparelli) Best Western Horses Help Heroes Maiden Stakes (Handicap) is a 7 furlong race.
Matt Wilson and Colin Hamilton will be there, with Jacks and the ambulance and will no doubt be grateful for any tips. If you see the team they would love to see you and we are still collecting for our 4 charities.
