Thanks for taking the time to visit our Just Giving fundraising page.  

They say there is strength in numbers so we are taking the Wobbleberry Challenge - together! A challenge for older, wimpy riders to do something way out of their comfort zone - a BE80 event (dressage, showjumping and Cross country) by autumn 2017, all to raise money for the wonderful Willberry Wonder Pony charity (bone cancer research). Hannah Francis inspired thousands of people she never met, including us, and achieved so much in her tragically short life. We want to raise money for the amazing charity she set up. Read more about Hannah here www.willberrywonderpony.org.

Neither of us having been riding for that long - not much more than a handful of years - and we've done very little jumping. We didn't ride as children so we've no memories of earlier successes to fall back on! However, we do have the advantage of a couple of great mounts with more than enough ability! The challenge for us will be to become competent enough to survive an 80cm cross country course by this time next year! I can tell you now, this is a BIG ask and we're pretty terrified at thought of it.

The charity is a good enough reason for us to take on this challenge - but we also have our own personal demons to conquer.

A personal note from the wimpy one (Victoria): “I had no idea the extent to which this sport would overtake my life, it has now become my biggest love. Instead of dreaming of sunny holidays and spray tans I now dream of new wellies and saddlepads! I also dream of being a great rider, I watch hundreds of youtube clips of brave eventers imagining it was me and wishing I could achieve this, so I rock up to the yard with an invigoured courage and then I see a pole on the floor in my lesson and go weak at the knees."

A personal note from the older one (Gilly): “As many of you will know, in early August I sustained a major fracture to my spine over an embarrassingly modest cross country jump! I haven't been able to ride again since and still have a few weeks to go. My bones will heal but the mammoth task of rebuilding my riding fitness and, more especially, my confidence lies ahead. I'm not sure which will be the greatest challenge!”

In the words of our yard manager it is definitely now the time to “practice being brave" and we ask you take this ride with us by showing your support and belief in us by donating to this page – every £ will give us that strength to pick ourselves back up off the floor (literally) and help us to achieve something great, that to date has felt unreachable.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure and they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.