Claire payed us a visit at Olympia when she was on the hunt for her very own Berry Pony, but more important to speak to the #WonderPony himself about having a very special Willberry Wish granted. 

Sadly Linda, Claire’s mother, had terminal lung cancer but she still had a lifetime dream, to go to the races. However Willberry’s help was needed, sadly Linda’s dream had a shorter deadline to become a reality due to her diagnosis. Nonetheless she was a fighter and determined to go before she became too poorly. Time really was of the essence with this one and Christmas didn’t help matters, but Willberry managed to send Linda and her grandson to Sandown on the 6th January. Not only this but they were treated like the VIP’s they are, with a stretch limo to take them there and a 3 course meal to keep them refreshed!

Linda said that she and Martin had a totally brilliant day (and the steak was the best she'd ever eaten!), the cherry on the cake was Martin ringing the bell for the jockeys to mount. The gorgeous smile and special thank you to Willberry and his team really is what gets Willberry up in the morning.

A special silver Willberry charm was gifted to last as memory, and this was indeed an incredibly special one. Sadly Linda lost her battle with that horrible C word on the 8th March, so Willberry continues to send his heartfelt love to Claire, Martin and the rest of Linda’s family.  

With over 250 Wobbleberry Challenges completed in 2017, and a staggering £257,000 raised so far for Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony, British Eventing is looking forward to cheering on the 2018 challengers with more than 200 new sign-ups already this year.

Founded by four, self-confessed, middle-aged riders and launched last year, the Wobbleberry Challenge sees eventing enthusiasts who are rarely seen in the saddle, sign up to complete their first ever British Eventing BE80(T) event and raise money for the inspiring charity.

Over 1,000 people signed up for the challenge in 2017 and, along with the new recruits this year, will continue to work towards their BE80(T) competition in the forthcoming season.

British Eventing are once again supporting the riders on their quest with a free Training Pass, and can also look out for BE Charitable Foundation Try Eventing taster days - which are the perfect introduction for riders who are yet to experience a BE competition.

Anyone who would like to sign up for the challenge can do so HERE; for those already on the journey you will first need to register as a BE Associate and purchase Day Pass membership before requesting a free Training Pass. This can be done by emailing info@britisheventing.com with your Day Pass membership number.

Hannah Francis, a talented young event rider, started Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony charity following her diagnosis with an aggressive form of bone cancer and has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the research into cancer and fulfilling the wishes of other terminally ill people. Inspired by her tireless dedication, founders of the Wobbleberries Challenge; Sally Barr, Georgie Horrell, Julia Godbold and Sam Elms, set up the challenge to continue Hannah’s work in her memory after she sadly passed away in August 2016.

It is hoped that the initiative will not only raise a lot of money for the charity but also inspire and encourage more people to face and overcome their own challenges, and for the Wobbleberry community that is getting into the saddle, getting fit and heading out on to a BE80(T) cross country course.

More information can be found on the Wobbleberries Challenge website HERE.

Details on British Eventing Training & Education, the BE Charitable Foundation and how to get started in the sport can be found on the BE website.