Sunday Lunch at Strathallan Castle raises £8572

The wonderful Sally Coutts and her very able wingman Gill Ebdy recently met EGSF Chairman Keith Mason and Administrator Kate Thomson to present their cheque for £8572 from the superb Sunday Lunch at Strathallan Castle.

Sally Coutts has been a Highland pony enthusiast for most of her 43 years at Woodburn Croft near Crieff, with a short adventure into eventing with her children. Sadly over this time she has lost 8 ponies to grass sickness, every one of them a devastating and heart rending experience.

When Sally heard about the vaccine trial she contacted her good friend Anna Roberts at Strathallan Castle, who over the years has been so generous to the Fund, and together they decided to put on a splendid Sunday Lunch at the Castle to raise funds. Starting their publicity drive at the Royal Highland Show there were a few anxious moments when they had so many pledges for tables but very little actual money! All was well however, and in the event 188 guests were present for a magnificent lunch and auction – mostly donated through the enormous generosity of friends. Sally extends her warmest thanks to Anna, Gill, Morven Campbell, auctioneer Alan Murray and the very many others who contributed to the wild success of the occation, and we at EGSF whole heartedly echo her thanks! This is a tremendous donation and has been set aside specifically for the vaccine trial, due to start in early 2014. We all fervently hope that this is the long awaited breakthrough in EGS prevention that we have been waiting for.