Caroline Pratt memorial bursary won by protégé
of tragic star
The Caroline Pratt Memorial Fund - administered by The British
Horse Society - has awarded its first bursary to a former
student of the star rider.
Talented Hannah Bate, 26, will receive £2,000 from
the fund after wowing a judging panel headed up by top trainer
Yogi Breisner, a BHS Fellow, at a selection day in Cheshire
attended by Caroline's mother Angela and sister Judith.
Hannah, who came top of the six finalists chosen from dozens
of applicants for the inaugural bursary, said: "I'm thrilled.
It has come as a surprise because the others were really good.
"We also all had a connection with Caroline. I was her
student for two years at Tetton Hall, near Middlewich, Cheshire,
and my riding improved enormously because of her."
Caroline Pratt died at the Burghley Horse Trials last September
after her horse fell on her while she competing on the cross-country
course. The Memorial Fund was set up with money donated after
the tragedy and The British Horse Society offered to administer
the fund.
Hannah impressed the judges with her ride on Valdemar and
her interview.
In her application letter, she wrote: "It is incredibly
difficult to justify your worthiness of winning such an award.
Caroline was a great friend to me as well as my mentor. I,
like Caroline, have had to work for what I have and still
struggle financially in a bid to fulfil my ultimate dream.
Nobody could possibly compare to such a remarkable person
but given the right opportunities I would love to have a go
at getting as close as I can."
Caroline's mother Mrs Angela Pratt said: "The Memorial
Fund is the least we could do for Caroline. She would have
wanted to help someone in this way."
Caroline's sister Mrs Judith Flight said: "It is the
family who wanted this to happen, and it was very kindly coordinated
by The British Horse Society's Sarah Dobell and Sarah Caplan.
The bursary is for someone who needs the training in the same
way as Caroline once did. And as well as the training bursary,
the Memorial Fund will also provide £500 a year to help
local pony clubs."
Yogi Breisner and fellow judges Ruth Williams, Sally Bates
and Polly Stockton gathered at Richard Carruthers' superb
training centre at Forest Gate Farm, Norley, Cheshire to watch
Hannah, and the other finalists, Laura Fortune, Gilly Read,
Louise Lyons, Bianca Baistow, and Emily Gilruth, go through
their paces.
Afterwards, Yogi was full of praise for all of them. "The
six of you performed really well," he told them. "To
see six such good riders in Cheshire was brilliant. We wanted
to declare a dead heat. I think you all have what it takes
to get to the top."
Sarah Caplan, The BHS's North West Regional Development Officer
and herself a friend of Caroline, said: "The bursary
is a fitting tribute to Caroline who always had time for other
riders. She was extremely nice and an incredibly good rider."
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