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Riding For Research
Tara’s story and online auction feature at Badminton 2022
Leading equestrian personalities including ex-Eventing World Champion and Olympian Ginny Elliot MBE, and equine influencer Megan Elphick of Elphick Event Ponies will be supporting a special online prize draw to raise money for research into spinal cord injury at this year’s Badminton event.
The idea for the draw came from Tara Stewart, who was herself paralysed from the neck down in a riding accident eight years ago.
Tara will also be sharing her story and explaining how she is taking part in a promising research trial which uses electrical stimulation to improve functionality for people living with paralysis. Read Tara's story or watch Tara’s video below:
Draw for Research
Tickets for the prize draw cost £5 and will be available to purchase (09 April-20 May) by clicking below.
Our amazing grand prize is a money-can’t-buy private course walk and VIP lunch with legendary eventer and four times Olympic medallist Ginny Elliot at Badminton 2023. Four lucky winners will each get a pair of tickets for them and a friend to attend for a fabulous day out.
The growing list of other desirable prizes include a hamper from the Craft Gin Club, a Fairfax & Favour handbag, Equilight products, Joules clothing and an Aztec Diamond gilet.
The funds generated will go to Spinal Research who are helping develop ground-breaking research into spinal cord injury, as Patron Ginny Elliot explains:
“Every four hours someone in the UK is paralysed due to an injury to their spinal cord, many of them riders. Spinal Research have supported many breakthroughs in understanding how to restore function over the last 40 years and it’s great to see people like Tara now taking this research forward through clinical pilots to develop therapies which could transform lives.
These pilots have already shown improvement in movement, sensation and other critical functions in trials elsewhere but funding is critical so I would encourage the equestrian community to support this fantastic charity.”
Harvey Sihota, Chief Executive of Spinal Research, added: "Scientists around the world are making remarkable progress in understanding the spinal cord and what it may take to restore vital functions after injury.
“We currently support a portfolio of 20 research projects, crucially eight of which are being trialled in humans. However, funding is now critical to see these important discoveries translated to patients. Your support will help transform the lives of 60,000 people in the UK and more than 2.5 million people living with paralysis worldwide."