We are two Dartmoor girls riding our horses from Drewsteignton on the eastern fringes on Dartmoor National Park, 20 mins west of Exeter to Mothecombe Beach on the Flete Estate in the South Hams near Ivybridge.

Our friend Trelawney suffers with debilitating Huntington’s Disease and although he is extremely ill, requires 24/7 care, he has the most resilient fighting spirit and incredible sense of humour! He deserves for his story to be heard and will be joining us where possible along the way.

Robyn met Trelawney in 2017 while he was in care and after getting to know him has fought for his wishes to be heard ever since. HD results in complex needs developing, your ability to express yourself is vastly reduced but your comprehension remains mostly good. This means it is very hard to be understood and make your feelings heard.

Trelawney lived a full an active life before becoming ill in his late 30s. He was an accomplished surfer, had travelled the world and worked
as a waiter in some of the most prestigious hotels including the famous Savoy Hotel in London and the Westbury in Dublin. It is little surprise that he struggled so much with being put into full time care.

Trelawneys mum passed away after a long battle with HD and
he was diagnosed just months afterwards. As a young man it is hard to fit into any of the care facilities available and he found himself having to be heavily medicated to cope.

Robyn has dedicated the past four years to ensuring Trelawney has as happy and as active a life as is possible, and he is now fully supported with a wonderful care team at home. Others with HD are not so lucky. 

We want to raise much needed funds to support families currently affected by this cruel disease and support research into finding treatments. With so few (between 6,500-8000) people in the UK suffering with the disease it is often overlooked and research is massively underfunded. The disease is slow and painful for the sufferers and for their families/friends. Your ability to swallow disappears, as does your ability to speak and to perform all normal tasks. The disease causes mental health issues and awkward jerky movements which are hard to manage outside care. However, Trelawney is showing everyone that even when your ability to speak, walk, conceptualise the world around you and stick to social ‘norms’ disappears your ability to feel, laugh, share and connect with people remains strong if not even stronger than it was before. 

The horses and dogs doing this endurance trail with us are a big part of Trelawneys life. We have found that the comfort and connection they give him is like nothing else. They are a part of his support team so it seems apt to do a challenge all together. 

Help us make a difference to other families suffering with HD and make Trelawney feel like a million dollars by hearing his story and sharing our ride!  

Huge thanks,

Robyn and Tori xx