We would like to thank all the special people who made our 10th Anniversary Auction possible by generously donating such wonderful prizes 💗

WoofWear Gift Voucher & A Full Set of Pro Event Boots Kindly donated by Woof Wear

Schooling Vouchers for Tweseldown Cross Country Kindly donated by @Tweseldown

Tickets for Salisbury Races Kindly donated by @sSalisbury Racecourse

A bespoke Quarter Marker from Bumplates Kindly donated by Bumplates

LeMieux Toy Pony 'Blanca' Kindly donated by LeMieux

Limited Edition Print "Romsey War Horse'"by Amy Goodman Kindly donated by Amy Goodman

Golf Lesson at Cumberwell Park with PGA Pro Luke Ayrton Kindly donated by Luke Ayrton

A One-night stay at The Goring 5* Hotel in London Kindly donated by The Goring Hotel

Stay in Glamping Pod & Use of Farm Ride at Somerford Park Kindly donated by Somerford Park Farm 01260299888

Defender Bramham International Horse Trials June 2026 Kindly donated by Defender Bramham Horse Trials

Yard Tour with Vittoria Panizzon Kindly donated by Vittoria Panizzon

Season Tickets - Defender Burghley Horse Trials 2026 Kindly donated by Defender Burghley Horse Trials

Access to the full "Bare Bones of the Matter" Documentary Series Kindly donated by Gillian Higgins, Horses Inside Out

Demijohn Goody Bag Kindly donated by @Demijohn, the liquid deli

Kate Negus Lifestyle "Ayr" Cross Body Bag, kindly donated by Kate Negus Saddlery

£100 Voucher Consort Equine Therapies, kindly donated by Consort Equine Therapies

Fendt Model Tractors & Fendt Jacket, kindly donated by Redlynch Agricultural Engineering

VIP Tickets for Band In A Barn, kindly donated by Band in a Barn

Dressage Test Review by Ingrid Klimke, kindly donated by SAP Ingrid Klimke

Tickets to Wincanton Races, kindly donated by Wincanton Racecourse

The Royal International Horse Show, Hickstead, kindly donated by The All England Jumping Course, Hickstead

Two Jump4Joy Half Round Jump Fillers, kindly donated by Jump 4 Joy

7 night stay in the Highlands, Scotland, kindly donated by Ian & Sally Barr

Tickets for Aintree Halloween Family Fun & Race Day, kindly donated by Aintree Racecourse

Ladies or Gents Liddesdale Barbour Jacket, kindly donated by The Barbour Foundation

Tickets to Bicton International Horse Trials, kindly donated by Bicton Arena

An Original Berry Pony - Willberry's BIG Brother BruceBerry, kindly donated by Hannah

Glaze & Gordon Houseware Set, kindly donated by Glaze & Gordon

A Bit of your choice from Expert Bits, kindly donated by Expert Bits

One Year's Arena Hire at Badger's Cross Equestrian, kindly donated by Kat Riley Eventing

Wine Tasting Evening at your home, kindly donated by Cotswold Uncorked

Lesson with Tim Cheffings, kindly donated by Tim Cheffings Eventing

Tractor Ted Bundle presented by Farmer Tom, kindly donated by Tractor Ted

Hand-Crafted Cross Stitch of Willberry, kindly donated by Debbie Pickford

Introduction to Polo session, kindly donated by Druids Lodge Polo Club

Carp Fishing & 2 night stay at Rode Hill Fishery, kindly donated by Rode Hill Fishery

Lesson & yard tour with Kitty King, kindly donated by Kitty King Eventing

A Four Night Stay in a St Andrews Flat, kindly donated by The Galloway Family

A season ticket for XC Schooling at Larkhill Eventing, kindly donated by Larkhill Eventing

An EXCLUSIVE Cherry Roller Bangle, kindly donated by Hi Ho Silver

Tickets to Bath Racecourse, kindly donated by Bath Racecourse

2 Night, 2 Horse Holiday at Lindores Equestrian, kindly donated by Lindores Equestrian

Treehouse Sporting Colours Voucher, kindly donated by Treehouse Sporting Colours

Canine Consultation with Dr Marvin Firth MRCVS, kindly donated by Dr Marvin Firth MRCVS

A Two-night stay at Dimpsey Glamping, kindly donated by Dimpsey Glamping

Lesson with Coral Hardman, kindly donated by Coral Hardman Eventing

Paws for a Pamper Voucher, kindly donated by Paws for a Pamper

PONY Mag Annual & 1 Year Subscription, kindly donated by PONY Mag

Badminton 2026 Course Drive with Eric Winter, kindly donated by Eric Winter

Tickets for Market Rasen Racecourse - Wild West Beer Fest & Family Extavaganze Race Day, kindly donated by Market Rasen Racecourse

An overnight canoe and camp trip for 4, kindly donated by Canoe Trail

Two Cross Country Schooling sessions for two at Boomerang, kindly donated by Boomerang Stables

Grand Wine Tour of Carvers Hill Estate for four, kindly donated by Tim Griffiths

Meet Ginny Oakley Pope at the Side Saddle Association Championship Show, kindly donated by Ginny Oakley Pope

1 Year Subscription to Horse&Rider, kindly donated by Horse&Rider Magazine

Yard Tour with Gemma Stevens, kindly donated by Gemma Stevens

Tickets to Hartpury International Horse Trials, kindly donated by NAF International Hartpury Horse Trials

Superb package from Bogenraith Equestrian, kindly donated by Bogenraith Equestrian

2 Night stay in a flat overlooking The Thames, kindly donated by Angela Crofts

2 Lessons with Alicia Hawker, kindly donated by Alicia Hawker Eventing

Devoucoux Numnah/Bib & Bundle, kindly donated by Devoucoux

Lesson with Will Rawlin, kindly donated by Will Rawlin Eventing

5 hrs hedge trimming, kindly donated by Sam Francis

Croquet & Cream Tea for 8, kindly donated by Camerton & Peasedown Croquet Club

Meet & Greet with Jagerbomb & Becky Moody, kindly donated by Becky Moody Dressage & Jagerbomb

£200 voucher for Old Oaks, Glastonbury, kindly donated by Old Oaks Touring, Camping & Glamping

Tickets to Cheltenham Racecourse, kindly donated by Cheltenham Racecourse

Signed rosettes, kindly donated by Joe Stockdale

Tickets to Royal Windsor Horse Show, kindly donated by Royal Windsor Horse Show

2 night stay at The Cattle Byre, kindly donated by Charlotte Tucker

Amazing package - 2 days with Kirsty Chabert, Introductory Water Treadmill Session & an Equine Physiotherapy Session, kindly donated by Team Opposition, Kirsty Chabert, Alice James Veterinary Physiotherapy

Lesson with Andrew Heffernan at Somerford Park Farm, kindly donated by Andrew Heffernan

Wyke Farms Hamper, kindly donated by Wyke Farms

Photoshoot with Rebekah Daven Photography, kindly donated by Rebekah Daven Photography

2 Night stay at Splotts Moor Farm, kindly donated by Hilary & Gordon White

Limited Edition Jaguar 1100, kindly donated by CLAAS Western

Lesson with Maria Eiberg, kindly donated by Maria Eilberg

Stihl Cordless Hand Vacuum & Tyre Inflator, kindly donated T H WHITE Agriculture

Rider Mindset Coaching Session with Nicky Pennie (Be Your Best Yet), kindly donated by Nicky Pennie Coaching

A Rider Eye HiViz Tabard, kindly donated by Rider Eye

A day with Tom Rowland, kindly donated by Tom Rowland Eventing

McCormick Ride-On Tractor Toy, kindly donated by Read Agri Services Ltd

Tickets to the Horses Inside Out Anatomy Exhibition, kindly donated by Gillian Higgins, Horses Inside Out

Signed copy - Great British Paddling Adventures, kindly donated by Canoe Trail

Six Water Treadmill Sessions, kindly donated by Lisa & Fred Ford, South West Equine Water Treadmill

A Three-Course Meal hosted by Geoff Andrews, kindly donated by Geoff Andrews

A £15 Gift Voucher for Beaumont & Bear, kindly donated by Beaumont & Bear

20% Discount Voucher for Weatherbeeta, kindly donated by Weatherbeeta

Schoffel Colwell Cap, kindly donated by Schoffel

Voucher for a bag of TopSpec Cool Balancer, kindly donated by TopSpec

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts 💗

Team Willberry x

10 years ago, Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony became an official charity.  Hannah created her charity to help others — determined to fund vital research into osteosarcoma so that no one else would have to suffer the way she did, or her family.

At the same time, Hannah was ticking off her own bucket list. This inspired her to create "Willberry’s Wishes", as she knew how these made her feel — "Willberry's Wishes" are horsey wishes for seriously ill people and their families, making precious memories and lots of smiles, even in the toughest times.

Willberry recently caught up with Jon, who is embarking on a mighty challenge for Hannah.

When did you first hear about Hannah’s story? 

I was aware of Hannah’s story from I believe nearly the very beginning, although only from a distance at first. My partner, in her younger days, did a lot of eventing in the area, along with her siblings, and the family still keep horses now. If I remember rightly, something appeared on my social media feed years ago - possibly through one of their connections commenting about Hannah - and that was when I started reading more about Hannah’s incredibly brave journey while she was still alive, and the legacy she was already creating. Since then, I’ve also seen Willberry Wonder Pony at various events, which has always stayed with me. Then, if I fast forward a few years, it feels a little like fate that I ended up working alongside Matt Clark, who has sadly had his own battles with osteosarcoma. Seeing Matt and others take on such an incredible charity cycling challenge in 2024, and feeling the passion and support behind Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony, really spurred me on. Then when our Wells office chose Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony as the charity we wanted to support this year, it felt like an absolute given that I should finally do something myself - to give something back and help raise awareness.

What are you most looking forward to, and what’s keeping you up at night? 

I’ve already had the privilege of seeing such incredible support from family, friends, colleagues and clients, and that has been genuinely uplifting. The kind messages, encouragement and generous donations have meant a great deal. In a world that can sometimes feel full of difficult and negative news, seeing people come together to support others is a powerful reminder for me of the good that exists. There is something very special about people uniting to help those facing challenges far greater than their own. I’m also really looking forward (hopefully!) to getting to the Bath Half on the Sunday, crossing that finish line, and meeting some of the other Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony supporters and runners. If I’m honest, what keeps me up at night is probably the thought of letting people down. It’s quite a difficult challenge to train for because there isn’t really a true “dress rehearsal” for it. You can prepare as well as you can, but until you are in it, you don’t fully know how your body and mind will respond. That said, I keep coming back to the same thought: however hard this feels, it is temporary. For those affected by osteosarcoma, and for families like Hannah’s, the pain and heartache are on an entirely different scale - and for many, it did not lead to the outcome they so desperately wanted. That perspective stays with me.

How have you been preparing (physically and mentally!)? 

As you can imagine, there has been quite a lot of running involved! Like many people, I have a busy family life and work life, so one of the biggest challenges has actually been finding the time to train consistently. To make it work, I’ve had to get my body used to running later in the evenings, which has taken some adjusting. I also have to say a huge thank you to my amazing partner, Samantha Gratton, who has been an incredible support throughout. She has been a real rock for me, and has also kept everything at home running when I’ve been out training. Like most things in life, this kind of challenge may look individual on the surface, but it is absolutely a team effort. At the time of writing, I’m just finishing the most intense part of the training, which has involved multiple back-to-back long distance runs. It has definitely been physically challenging (and at times very sore). Mentally, there have been difficult moments too - especially getting out in the wet, dark and cold after a long day at work. But each time, I come back to the same things: Hannah, the charity, the people affected by osteosarcoma, and the incredible support behind this challenge. Having that sense of purpose has helped enormously.

What an amazing challenge Jon is tackling. We can't wait to cheer him, and the rest of #TeamWillberry, through the finish line of Bath Half. 

Willberry’s Wishes were created by Hannah for special people like Ava-Mae and her family.

Nicola, Ava-Mae's Mum wanted to share their story with our supporters. Ava had always wished for her own pony every birthday and Christmas, so at the end of June 2024 we bought her her very own pony. Sadly, just a week later, she wasn’t feeling well at all. We took her to the doctors, where the doctor sat us down and said she thought it could be cancer. Ava was sent straight to Exeter Hospital for blood tests, and the following day it was confirmed that Ava had leukaemia. She was immediately transferred to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children to begin treatment.

Chemotherapy was intense, and Ava became very poorly. She developed candida, a severe thrush infection affecting her mouth and gut. Because the chemotherapy had destroyed her immune system, she couldn’t fight the infection. She later went down for a procedure and, unfortunately, aspirated, causing fluid to enter her lungs. Over the next few days her breathing worsened, and she wasn’t getting enough oxygen. On 27th July, doctors made the decision to move Ava to intensive care and intubate her.

Ava was in critical condition and spent seven and a half weeks in intensive care, fighting for her life. During this time, she also developed sepsis and pneumonia. On 13th August, we received the incredible news that Ava was in remission. On 18th September, she was discharged from intensive care, unable to walk and needing to relearn how to eat and speak. She then underwent intense daily rehabilitation while still in Bristol.

We were later allowed to return home on the condition that Ava could continue outpatient physiotherapy locally, which Vranch House in Exeter kindly agreed to provide. We finally came home on 22nd October. Since then, Ava has gone from strength to strength—returning to school, walking again, riding, and doing the things she loves. Ava’s treatment is due to end in August 2026.

Sadly, Ava no longer has her pony, but once she finishes treatment and regains her full strength, we will look into buying her another one.

As Ava began to feel a little stronger, we knew it was time for her Willberry’s Wish. On her application, Ava said she would love to go to the London International Horse Show with her mummy, daddy, and brother—so that’s exactly what we did.

We set off at the crack of dawn for a road trip to ExCeL for the amazing London International Horse Show. I was so excited to meet Ava-Mae and her family. They had travelled up from Devon the night before, and I hoped they’d had a restful evening at the hotel.

                                           

It was lovely to meet Ava-Mae, Braydon, and their mum and dad, Nicola and Dan. Not only was it Ava’s Willberry’s Wish day, but it was also her 11th birthday. We had a lovely chat, handed over the tickets, and made arrangements to meet later at the show.

They headed off to explore the shops, with Ava spending some of her birthday money—it really was horsey heaven. Time flew by, and soon it was time for the afternoon performance. Braydon was especially excited to see the Shetland Pony Grand National, while Ava couldn’t wait to see it all.

The show was incredible, starting with the CS15* Cavago Six Bar, which had us all on the edge of our seats. Ava was sitting right at the front, completely absorbed.  We saw lots of jumping, some crazy dogs running through tunnels and galloping very fast!  And then lots of little Doris’s with jockeys, racing one another - so exciting! To round off the show, the big man himself, Father Christmas, made an appearance, and I’m sure he even gave me a special wave.

        

I was thrilled that we managed to arrange a personal invitation for Ava and her family to meet Father Christmas and his cheeky elf. He even had a little gift for them—it was such a special moment, and Ava was smiling from ear to ear.

 

As an extra treat to end the day, a lovely lady named Wiggy met us backstage and gave us a guided tour of the stables. Ava even got to meet her favourite Shetland pony, Bonny. Special thanks to Fiona, Wiggy, Reece and Jon for helping to make Ava’s Willberry’s Wish so memorable.

After such a big day at the London International Horse Show, Ava was completely shattered. She returned to the hotel with her family for a special birthday takeaway—the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Team Willberry was delighted that Ava felt well enough to spend Sunday sightseeing in London, creating a truly memorable weekend away for the whole family – Ava keep being the amazing girl you are 💕

PHOTO CREDITS, thank you for allowing us to share these beautiful photos - Jon Stroud Media and London International Horse Show: Peter Nixon | Rose Lewis