COBH Rescue Horses were the beneficiary of a Mad Hatters Race run at the end of the Kilworth and Araglen Harriers’ point-to-point in Kilworth last Sunday.

Competitors represented their hunts, to which any prize-money went, but the race was also a fund-raiser for the Co Cork equine charity who, on their Facebook page that night, said that they had collected €1,615 with more money pledged.

At one stage, 16 horses were due to line-up but that number had whittled down to eight when it came to card-printing time with two of those non-runners on the day.

Getting a lead over seven fences from the mounted stewards, the race only really developed on the run-in with Timmy Maloney of the South Union Foxhounds guiding Freddie to a comfortable victory over the Coolnakilla Harriers’ Keara O’Connor on Tallow and the Killeady Harriers’ Karl Sylvester riding Up All Night.

The South Union had two other representatives in the race, John Lordon, who finished fourth on his grey Jasper, and former amateur jockey Paul Crowley who, on his return to racing, did an excellent job of whipping in with the eye-catching skewbald gelding Paddy. Unfortunately for favourite backers, there was a parting of ways between the Tipperarys’ Louise O’Brien and her mount, A Kept Woman.

Cobh Rescue Horses was established in February last year and is run by a group of 10 friends in the locality. They have the use of a yard and rented fields to temporarily care for abandoned, neglected or surrendered horses and ponies. Most of the animals who go through their hands are rehomed in Germany.