Union for Country Sports Workers
Charity Race at Southwell Racecourse
The UCSW and Notts & Lincs Air Ambulance Charity Race was held on Sunday 15th March at Southwell Racecourse, after a card of seven National Hunt races. Seven riders took part in the race on the all-weather course over 1 mile 4 furlongs.
Dora Lenge, a stable lass who was taking part in her first race on an English racecourse, won on Ruud Revenge, a locally trained horse from Bawtry. Student Ned Sangster came second on the Charles Egerton-trained The Local, and farrier Jonathan Clayton was third on the Graham Smith-trained Nayodabayo.
Mel’s Moment, owned and trained by UCSW Committee member Rob Lowe (a farrier from Hereford), was fourth under jockey Harry Crump. David Hilton from Brackley finished fifth in his first ever ride on a racetrack on Court Alert, with racehorse trainer Charles Smith coming in sixth on Phileas Phog. Last but by no means least was Per Ardua Beagles master and huntsman Tim Rogers on Shinko Shadow.
UCSW Charity Race: The jockeys
All jockeys were given a bottle of champagne and various goodies from the UCSW. The first three home were given a voucher from MacWet for their “all grip - no slip” gloves. And mementos were presented to the winning owner Mr Budge, and to the jockey who raised the most money - Charles Smith.
Apart from the racing, visitors to Southwell enjoyed amongst other things a farmers market, farrier demonstrations, a beagle display by the Per Ardua beagles, and a hound parade by the Grove & Rufford Hunt.
The Notts & Lincs Air Ambulance were delighted with the support they received during the day. They rely heavily on voluntary contributions needing to raise 1.5 million every year. As their spokesman said: “You always hope that it is something you won’t need but you are always glad its there when you do.”
The UCSW was set up to preserve the tradition of country sports with particular emphasis on the jobs of those involved in the sports. The money raised will help pay the expenses of a legal case at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg with the ban on hunting at the centre of the case. If the case in Strasbourg proved to be successful, hunting would become entrenched as a human right under the Human Rights Act, and no Government would be able to ban it again.
For more information please contact:
Tel: 01295 712719 Email: office@ucsw.org