I am sure that everybody has had their lives affected by cancer at some point in time. My first experience was losing my Dad (John Birch) to cancer in 1993, I was 16 at the time. Just last year my Aunt (Caroline Woods) lost her battle with cancer.  I have run a couple of 10k races and taken part in The Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research UK over the past 15 years.

 In early January I was browsing Horse and Hound online, and saw a news banner asking for applications from lady jockeys to take part in a charity race.  Overcome by excitement I applied, the application form requires me to raise £5000 but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride at Cheltenham during the biggest racing festival in the world. The race was limited to 12 places and one was already reserved, I got some help from a creative friend to write my biog and I sent off the application, hoping but not daring to dream that I would be chosen.

Well here I am, proof that 'you have to be in it, to win it.'

Please help me exceed my fundraising target, any donation is gratefully received from £1 to £1000  if you're feeling generous!

I will be keeping a brief weekly diary of what my boys and I get up during our preparations, and as the time gets nearer deciding who actually will be running at Cheltenham.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

 

Week Ending 14/2/10

This week has really been about upping the workload and the speed/intensity of the horses. I have decided that I will be taking Emerald to Cheltenham for a variety of reasons, primarily because he is more laid back and will cope with the atmosphere better than Sovereign, but he is much quicker (in racing terms he has a more flat action, therefore glides across the top of the ground) and hopefully he will be able to call upon his classy flat racing genes when the time comes!

I also have a few pounds to lose, and have remained at a steady 10st12lbs, mostly I think due to being too busy to fit in any additional exercise, with the mornings getting lighter, this will be kicked into touch this week.

Don't forget to look out for us in local press, we have already had mentions in the Horse and Hound, The Irish Field, Lancashire Evening Post, and we should be in The Liverpool Echo today or Monday.

Week Ending 28/2/10

The past fortnight has been a blur of work (the paying type), fundraising, keeping the boys ticking over, and trying to secure a place in a racing yard for Emerald. Hopefully he will be going to a brand new yard less then 2 miles away, where I will be able to handle and work him, alongside the other horses in training, he will also spend about an hour and a half a day on a walker, which helps to tone up and strengthen muscles without any stress or fatigue.

I have been blown away by so many people being very generous, and I have an army of people collecting on my behalf, top of the leader board at the moment is Aunty Madge, who has weighed in with a stunning £272 to date. Top Marks Aunty Madge! Hot on her heels is Nin, with a sterling £210, not bad for an 86 year old lady (born the year that Durbar II won the Derby).

We have been in The Champion, a back page article in The Advertiser and I think Radio Merseyside did a brief spot earlier on in the week.

Kick on guys 18 days to go.

Elaine x

Thank You everyone for your continued support and please mention the page to everyone you meet.

Elaine x