Blue Cross and The Pony Club team up for auction fundraiser

Want the chance to bid on exclusive goodies from Olympic showjumper Ben Maher? Charities Blue Cross and The Pony Club are celebrating their 10-year partnership with a fundraising auction that has some incredible prizes on offer

Blue Cross and The Pony Club will celebrate their achievements and decade-long partnership with a special fundraising online auction next month. It’ll be held from Friday 1 October to Sunday 24 October with some incredible and exclusive prizes up for grabs, including a GB tie signed by British Olympic Showjumper Ben Maher and two horseshoes worn by Explosion W after his win in the individual showjumping at the Olympics in Tokyo. The Pony Club and Blue Cross work together to teach young people how to care for horses and ponies, and the importance of building a connection between horse and rider. They help to spread the word and unite like-minded horse lovers at rallies, events and competitions, too.

All proceeds raised from the auction will be divided between the two charities to help support future projects, and a full list of auction items will be revealed at the end of this month. Marcus Capel, CEO of The Pony Club, said: “Partnering with Blue Cross reinforces our commitment to animal welfare and supports our members and their horses and ponies. This auction will enable us to extend our charitable work to support young people who would like to expand their knowledge, build friendships and enjoy time with horses and ponies outdoors. We’re looking forward to seeing the excitement surrounding some of these amazing prizes as well.”

The perfect example to showcase how the two charities complement each other is BBC TV presenter Lizzie Greenwood Hughes. She was a member of The Pony Club when she was younger and now her daughter Clemmie, aged 10, has followed in her footsteps with her Blue Cross rescue horse Wispa. Lizzie said: “Clemmie has really grown in confidence and made lots of riding friends since joining Pony Club, there’s nowhere better to teach children about horses and ponies. Children have fun but also learn the sense of responsibility and independence. As for Wispa, she’s just a joy, so careful with Clemmie, we’re just so happy that we could give a Blue Cross rescue horse a loving new home.”

Another young rider to have thrived since attending her first Pony Club rally this year is six-year-old Livvy Johnson with her Blue Cross pony Perry. Livvy’s mother Rebecca said: “Perry is a wonderful Blue Cross pony who has helped so many children over the years and now in our home, at the age of 19 he’s really brought on Livvy’s confidence.”

You can join the auction from 9am on Friday 1 October by visiting givergy.uk/BlueCrossforPetsandThePonyClub