'Massive benefit' as New Beginnings charity is rehomed

It is a new beginning for New Beginnings, with the racecourse retraining and rehoming charity having outgrown its base at Low House Stud in Hanging Grimston on the Garrowby estate near York.

This week volunteers from Sky Bet helped horses, cats and New Beginnings staff with the move across the estate, owned by the Earl and Countess of Halifax, to The Grange in Bishop Wilton.

Co-directors are Kevin Atkinson and Pam Hollingworth, who says: "No move is ever easy but our challenge is made less complicated due to the recent acquisition of a new lorry, thanks to a grant from the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust.

“We can now press both our vehicles into action not just for safely transporting the horses to their new home but also some of the essential equipment as well.

"We’re also indebted to our trustee Michael Shinners of Sky Bet, who organised a team of Sky Bet volunteers over two days to help us get on top of the essential maintenance work.”

She adds: "It's very sad to be leaving Low House Stud, it’s certainly served us well, but there are many benefits to the move – not only space and facilities on the new yard, but also the additional hacking options. It will be a massive benefit to the horses coming through our care."

Those horses are loaned to long-term ‘forever’ homes after retraining, though they will always return to New Beginnings if circumstances change, guaranteeing a secure future.

Among the permanent residents are Golden Hello, known as Harry, and Mister McGoldrick, nowadays just Mac. Both spend part of their time representing New Beginnings around the Yorkshire racecourses.

Family fun at Beverley boot camp

Looking for somewhere to take the young ’uns during half-term? If you live anywhere near Beverley, they might just have the answer to what to do on Wednesday, having teamed up with rugby league club Hull FC to offer a variety of extras.

While mums and dads study form, kids can do some wrestling in inflatable sumo suits, roll around in a giant Zorb ball, take a selfie with the Challenge Cup, enjoy funfair rides, and try for a prize in Hull FC’s ‘Boot It’ kicking competition.

Hull FC players will be at the track and their England international Scott Taylor visited Beverley to promote the partnership along with jockey Paul Mulrennan.

Beverley boss Sally Iggulden says: “Our afternoon meeting on Wednesday will be a really great family-friendly day where racegoers can meet the Hull FC squad and take selfies with the Challenge Cup, as well as enjoying lots of other fun activities.”

Jockey Paul Mulrennan and Hull FC rugby league player Scott Taylor at BeverleyCredit: Hannah Ali

A different kind of saddling up

Starting on Sunday, British Racing School staff are cycling between seven racecourses in seven days as they aim to raise £50,000 towards the Rory MacDonald Memorial Fund.

Musselburgh, Kelso, Hexham, Redcar, Beverley, Market Rasen and Fakenham are the seven tracks, with the trip totalling around 450 miles.

Grant Harris, BRS chief executive, says: “All in racing are aware of the acute shortage of stable staff. The BRS is training more young people than ever before and these include an increasing number of 19-year-olds-plus, for whom we receive limited government funding.

“We decided to launch an appeal fund named after Rory, who did so much to help establish training in our industry. We’d like to thank our sponsors and the racecourses, who have been very helpful and generous arranging logistics, promotions and accommodation. It’s now up to us to meet the challenge we have set ourselves.”

You can inject a little fuel into the cyclists’ legs by donating at justgiving.com

News Flash

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