My mum, Anne Brown, was 60 in April and she’s decided to spend her 60th year fundraising for Equi-Power Central Scotland RDA, as she’s passionate about riding and the charity.

This plea is for something for her though. She won 1st place in the RDA Regional finals which qualified her to compete in the RDA National Dressage Championships in Hartpury, Gloucestershire on 14th-16th July.

It will cost approx £1,000 in travelling and accommodation expenses to get there, (it’s £500 for Basil’s transport alone) just to allow her to compete this year.

She’ll be riding Basil who’s owned by the Chair of the board of Trustees of Equi-Power who has generously allowed her to ride him. The chair will go as part of the team to be groom/general carer for Basil. Also going will be a Coach from Equi-Power to look after my mum.

Mum has secondary progressive MS and her health is gradually declining, although she does her best to keep as well as she can. horse Riding is an important part of her physiotherapy in helping maintain core stability. The freedom of being able to ride without the constraints of a wheelchair helps her physical and mental health and keeps her so well.

She has been training hard with the support of Equi-Power coaches and staff, and she’d love to come back with a rosette to thank everyone at Equi-Power for all their hard work and patience in getting her there. Being able to compete at the Championships is a message to everyone with a disability that "It's what you can do that counts".

If, by some miracle, we get more than the money that’s needed the rest will go to Equi-Power to help other like her to ride and realise their potential despite their disabilities..