AN amazing €9,000 was raised for CMRF (Children’s Medical & Research Foundation) Crumlin and BUMBLEance (Children’s Ambulance Service) at the Island Pony Club charity Derby Day in September and recently two cheques were handed over to representatives of both groups.

The driving force behind the Derby Day was event rider, artist and Pony Club mother Dale Adams, who was delighted with the amount of money raised, the total far surpassing her initial expectations.

“Maurice and Felicity Cousins kindly gave us use of the facilities at Barnadown for free and the judges and course builder, John Doyle, also worked throughout the day for free, which meant that all sponsorship and entry money went to the fund. When Gary (Dale’s veterinary surgeon husband) agreed to sponsor the ambulance, everything was covered.

“We had three team events and six Derby competitions ranging from 50cms to a metre. John built a different course for each Derby competition, making great use of the banks and water jumps. The children really enjoyed themselves and it was a brilliant day.

GREAT SUPPORT

“We had great support from our own Club, of course, but also from the Wexford, Wicklow, Shillelagh, Kildare and Kilkenny branches with riders ranging in age from eight up to 17. Jim Burke brought the BUMBLEance along and the children were in and out of it all day.

“Maurice and Felicity also kindly invited us back to Barnadown for the presentation evening, which the children all attended in their Pony Club gear, and we had a bit of a disco to round off the evening,” concluded Adams.

Making a guest appearance at the presentation were some of the wonderful fences built by Dale’s father David McNiven and painted by her sister Hannah.