Vets to ride across Europe for The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust

A team of 15 of the most prestigious senior academic and practising specialist veterinary surgeons in the country known as The Vets with Horsepower are again this year about to embark on a ride across Europe raising funds for their chosen charities.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Feb 2014, 12:57 GMT
Director of the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust, Heather ArmstrongDirector of the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust, Heather Armstrong
Director of the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust, Heather Armstrong

The team will undertake an endurance motorbike ride from the UK to St Petersburg and back again via Scandinavia to raise funds forOckley based charity The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust and also for The Smile Train, who provide operations to repair cleft palates for children in need in the developing world.

They will travel on motorbikes through 10 countries to deliver CPD (continuing professional development) to hundreds of vets at veterinary schools throughout Europe.

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The vets are giving up their precious free time to undertake this gruelling challenge for charity and on some days will be riding 300 miles and then having to deliver their lectures at the end of it.

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Director of the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust, Heather ArmstrongDirector of the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust, Heather Armstrong
Director of the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust, Heather Armstrong

The team is headed by Professor Knottenbelt from the Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital, University of Liverpool and they will be holding 9 separate CPD events this year and will be raising money for the two chosen charities.

“The support that the VWHP team is providing to the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust will bring benefits that change human and animal lives for the better,” said Professor Knottenbelt.

“We do not judge and we do not criticise – we simply want to help the most disadvantaged people and animals in the world. “Our strapline is ‘getting together for good’. We want to relieve human burden through improved working animal welfare.”

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The money raised for the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust will go towards building a new centre for equine welfare in a more urban area of the Gambia, to allow their veterinary and educational projects to reach urban as well as rural living animals and their owners.

'Vets with Horsepower' to ride across Europe to raise money for Ockley-based charity Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust'Vets with Horsepower' to ride across Europe to raise money for Ockley-based charity Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust
'Vets with Horsepower' to ride across Europe to raise money for Ockley-based charity Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust

Director of the Trust, Heather Armstrong said “We are delighted that the Vets with Horsepower have selected us as one of their two chosen charities for 2014. To have such esteemed veterinary surgeons raising funds for us is humbling. We are immensely grateful for their support and wish them every success on their challenging trip.”

To date they have already raised a phenomenal £280,000 for their chosen charities, making a huge difference to the lives of many of the working equines and their owners in some of the poorest countries in the world.

If you would like to support the Vets with Horsepower through providing sponsorship for them, then please visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/vetswithhorsepower

Report and pictures contributed by the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust.

Related topics:Europe