The worldwide eventing community is a tight-knit family that not only supports one another at the sporting level but frequently comes together to lift up fellow eventers in need. The Eventing Family is a community group in the UK formed by Aaron Millar with support from Helen West, Beccy Barrett, Alex Jackson, Sophie Richardson and Andrew Fell. The purpose of the group is to take positive action to help members of their eventing family overcome illness and injury.
Through an upcoming charity fundraising event and an online auction, The Eventing Family is raising funds for four charities, each linked to a member of the eventing community battling a related disease. Those charities are the Motor Neurone Disease Association, Cancer Research UK, Teenage Cancer Trust and Spinal Research. It was requested that The Eventing Family support these specific causes by the following individuals:
Pat West: She is an eventing mom who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in September 2014. It is a rare condition and there is currently no cure.
Ben Hobday: He is an upper-level event rider and popular personality on social media. He announced he was diagnosed with cancer earlier this summer and the 27-year-old has been undergoing chemotherapy.
Hannah Francis: She is a 17-year-old eventer who was diagnosed with a type of bone cancer called osteosarcoma in May of this year. She has shown immeasurable bravery throughout this difficult ordeal and has been documenting her progress with help from her trusty sidekick Willberry Wonder Pony on Instagram and Twitter.
Jemina Green: She is a lifelong horsewoman who has been learning to live with a spinal injury since she was involved in a terrible car accident earlier this year. She is currently confined to a wheelchair, yet she is determined to get back in the saddle. The Eventing Family’s founder Aaron Miller was also involved in the crash.
The charity fundraising event will take place Saturday, August 22 at the Bicton Arena International Horse Trials in the UK. The party will feature a live auction, dinner, dancing and music from Joey the Lips. If you’re in the area, tickets are still available for purchase.
The online auction is now open with some incredible items up for bid including visits to top riders’ yards, stud fees, BE event entries, vacations, coaching and more. See a full list of the online and live auction items here. The online auction will be open until Sunday, August 23.
Many of the items in the online auction are obviously intended for local bids, but The Eventing Family said if you are interested in a specific prize and do not live in the UK, contact The Eventing Family directly for more information.
The Eventing Family is a brilliant organization that has found a way to support members of the community when they need it most. You can find The Eventing Family on Facebook and Twitter or visit their website. Direct donations may also be made to The Eventing Family at this link.
