THE public’s help is being called on for two very different appeals this week – the bid to raise funds to secure an air ambulance to bring home injured huntsman Rickie Healy who suffered very serious spinal injuries in a swimming pool accident in Spain and Jonty Evans’ appeal for funding to help him buy his Rio Olympic partner Cooley Rorkes Drift.

Rickie Healy is a talented young sportsman, who was about to take up his new job with the Galway Blazers as whipper-in this autumn.

Serious accidents can and do happen in the blink of an eye, my own family held our collective breath earlier this year when one of us fell off a bicycle and sustained a broken neck. By a near miracle, there was no spinal damage sustained and a full recovery is on the cards but believe me, time stands still when your family suddenly finds itself in that predicament.

The cost of securing an air ambulance alone to bring Rickie home safely is in the region of around €30,000 and I’m absolutely sure that everyone in the Irish equestrian community and beyond will rally around and help support the Healy family as much as possible at this worrying time.

Irish Horse World is very happy to publicise any upcoming fundraising events in aid of Rickie Healy. Just drop us a line at horseworld@theirishfield.ie.

HISTORICAL ROOTS

Jonty Evans’ public appeal for funding to help him buy Cooley Rorkes Drift (ISH), keep him available to the Irish eventing team, and also give him a forever home in his top yard (see A63) has brought the focus firmly back on the age-old Irish problem of selling our good horses, many of whom have gone on to rack up the medals for other nations.

It’s a real predicament that every international rider and owner can relate 100%, nuturing horses along for years, patiently campaigning them and bringing them steadily up the levels before an offer comes through the door that really can’t be turned down unless they are in the big league themselves.

Nobody is pointing the finger, that sort of money buys a home, secures children’s futures, and every horseperson knows that the only guaranteed thing about horses is that they are unguaranteeable – a career-ending injury could be behind the next corner.

Ireland has often been criticised for being a selling nation – it’s true we are – but that itself is firmly rooted in our collective historical penury.

Irish people sell because they have to sell.

I don’t see that changing any time soon.