A 22-year-old woman who lost her father as a child has completed an epic 200-mile horse ride across East Anglia in his memory.
Georgie Veale and brother Edward lost dad Jonnie in 2010 following his battle with cancer – but the family’s love for horse riding has never faltered.
Now, in a bid to raise vital funds for St Elizabeth Hospice, which cared for Mr Veale, the siblings have completed a mammoth 200-mile ride along the East Anglian coast with their beloved horse Plum, 19, and retired police horse Peter from sponsors Happy Horse Saddlery and Ryder-Davies & Partners.
Riding 20 miles a day on average, the brother and sister pair were also joined by friend Lara Bell, mum Sarah and Ben Ryder-Davies and began their journey in Eyke on September 5.
Taking on the sights of Sizewell, Aldeburgh and Southwold – as well as spotting seals in Great Yarmouth – their journey finished with a ride along the beaches of Holkham.
Speaking after her ride, Georgie said: “It feels amazing, I can’t quite believe it has finished and everything went to plan. We were so lucky with the weather and I know Daddy was definitely looking down on us.
“When my brother and I hit Holkham beach we didn’t just have the adrenaline of finishing and seeing friends and family who were there to greet us, but we also had the overwhelming excitement of hitting £10,000 which just made the finish that much better!”
Friends and family joined the pair throughout their journey, while others sent in messages remembering their father.
Georgie added: “As a family, we are especially touched by everyone’s donations and messages. We are overwhelmed by kind messages from those who knew Daddy and those who are supportive of the challenge and cause.”
It is not the first time the family has completed a charity horse ride, with Georgie’s grandmother Angela having completed a ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 1948.
Mum Sarah added: “I am incredibly proud of Georgie and what she has achieved raising money for the hospice, which means so much to us after her father spent his last days there. It has involved a huge amount of organisation on her part and getting the horses fit over the summer too.
“It was wonderful for to see her and her brother, Edward leaving the yard on Saturday morning and to see them riding together along Holkham beach at the end was very emotional too.”
Celia Joseph, community relationships fundraising manager at the hospice, added: “It is fantastic to see the support that Georgie has had not only from family and friends, but the local community as she has journeyed along the coast, we would like to thank them all and for helping Georgie achieve this incredible amount to support the hospice’s work.”
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