A charity horse and dog show which was first held in 2021 to encourage people to focus on competing again after lockdown has received an award for its fundraising efforts.

Members of the team behind the Crathes Charity Horse and Dog Show attended the Equine Grass Sickness Conference in Edinburgh on Wednesday, 29^th March, and received the Silver Salver Award for commitment to fundraising.

The show, at Milton of Crathes Events Field near Banchory, was first held as a one-off event to raise money for the Equine Grass Sickness Fund and to give the north-east equestrian community an event to look forward to.

The first show was such a huge success that competitors were quick to ask the organising team to run the show again and, as a result, the show has raised over £9,000 for Equine Grass Sickness Fund over two events.

Part of the team behind the event, Susanne Shepherd, was on hand to receive the award in Edinburgh on behalf of everyone who contributed to the success of the show.

She said: “The initial aim of the event was to get people together to have some fun following the pandemic and raise what we could for the charity.

“Thanks to the support of everyone behind the scenes; from the rest of the organisers to our judges and stewards, caterers, photographers and rosette suppliers, competitors, spectators and our sponsors, we have been able to achieve far more than we initially envisaged.

“Equine Grass Sickness is a devastating and often fatal disease which can affect any horse or pony and is still very much a mystery in terms of the factors which contribute towards the condition and effective preventative measures.

“The north-east of Scotland is a hotspot for the disease and every penny raised by events like the show go directly to continuing the crucial and specialist research we need to finally unlock the key to beating the disease.”

The 2023 show will be held on Sunday, 11^th June, and has already secured vital support from TRAC Energy Limited as Main Show Sponsor and Leys Estate Group as Venue Sponsor.

The show takes place at the Milton of Crathes Events Field just off the A93 outside Banchory. Schedules will be available for the horse and dog sections via the shows Facebook page from 10^th April.