The horse’s mouth blog: every fundraiser is better with a pony
Hello, Reggie here, with my famous dapper moustache and luxuriant mane, taking over the reins of our Horse’s mouth blog. (See what I did there?) This month I visited our local gym, and naturally I rose to the occasion.
On opposite sides of Teddington Broad Street you’ll find sports shop Up and Running and gym F45, both friends of the Stables down the road. We are proud to be Up and Running’s charity of the year, and they held the first of three fundraising events for us at F45 in June.
Fourteen people took part in the ‘Teddington Trifecta’, comprising three back-to-back fitness sessions – cardio and strength in the gym, then a 45 minute run in Bushy Park. It cost £40 to take part plus a minimum fundraising total of another £40. Refreshments on the day were provided by Up and Running, and were washed down with free drinks courtesy of the local Abercorn Arms just up the road. Up and Running designed the run route and recruited professional runners who joined our team to give moral support. And everyone took away a well-deserved cap and medal to mark the occasion at the end of the day.
I came along to F45 to meet the organisers and supervise the gym sessions, which took place in a generous stable (I know because of the rubber matting on the floors and the water dispensers, but why was I the only horse? That’s all a bit of a mystery.)
After that the team all headed off at a canter towards Bushy Park, leaving innocent shoppers wondering what on earth was going on, especially with Woody cheering everyone on enthusiastically while I looked on and flexed my moustache. But honestly, it was just another day in downtown Teddington.
Water was handed out to the runners by supporters from the stables cheering them on, and a few of the horses and riders joined them in the Park, cantering alongside for support.
There was a lot of talk about ‘the community’ by the humans, and I overheard someone saying ‘this is what community really looks like’, and I think I understand what they meant. We horses are very sensitive and intuitive, and I could tell that this was a happy and uplifting event for all the humans involved.
We’d all like to say a big THANK YOU to our friends at awesome sports shop Up and Running, to the lovely team and members of F45 gym, and to Abercorn Arms. If you’re local, check them out!
Our ponies are the true heroes of Park Lane Stables! They give so much so happily, and we make sure they receive the very best care that we can give them. Caring for 25 horses is scarily costly, and paid for exclusively through donations and fundraising. If you’d like to thank our ponies with a bale of hay or a tasty salt lick, just head to our Donate page. Every single donation helps to fill the feed store.