The Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund

The Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund is a fantastic charity based in the UK #eliteequestrian elite equestrian magazine

YOU’RE NOT ALONE
Rosemary Lang is a name many riders won’t be familiar with, but as Administrator and Fund Coordinator for a charity, which supports injured riders, perhaps we all should be!
The Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund is a fantastic charity based in the UK, which assists those who have sustained an injury in an equestrian related accident, be it riding or otherwise.
Rosemary, has been a driving force behind the charity’s growth for well over two decades, which has helped hundreds of equestrians on their recovery journeys and Elite Equestrian wanted to find out more in our exclusive interview…

The Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund is a fantastic charity based in the UK #eliteequestrian elite equestrian magazine
Rosemary Lang from the Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund with World Class Showjumper Scott Brash (c) John Periam Photojournalist 01243 548718

ROSEMARY, GREAT TO TALK TO YOU, HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE CHARITY?
“Lovely to chat with you too and thanks for this opportunity to tell you about our work! Mark Davies (After whom the charity is named) and his family were friends of mine and when Mark was killed in 1988, I had been very ill with very severe Aplastic Anaemia (Aplastic anemia is a rare disease in which the bone marrow does not make enough blood cells for the body) and so had had to stop riding. His Mother Jane asked me to help out with the Charity, it has grown from there and I’ve never looked back since!”
YOU WORK WITH SOME TOP INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL RIDERS, TELL US MORE ABOUT THEM?
“We are really blessed to have some great supporters including some of the UK’s top riders, who realise just how important it is for the riding community to help those less fortunate when they are injured in horse related accidents.
Our patron is Princess Zara Phillips (Tindall), international show-jumpers Scott Brash and Jay Halim and equestrian event organiser Nina Barbour who are amongst our Vice Presidents”
HOW DO YOU HELP EQUESTRIANS?
“We help those injured in horse related accidents where no other help is readily available; We can provide help in a number of areas from moral support to beneficiaries and their families, legal contacts for advice and of course practical help where it is most needed”The Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund is a fantastic charity based in the UK #eliteequestrian elite equestrian magazine
DO YOU STAY CONNECTED WITH THOSE YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST?
“Yes, we do try to stay in touch with those we help, but as their lives get back on track, often we are forgotten, which is why we need to continuously remind equestrians about our valuable work and to encourage them to support us. Anyone involved with horses can unfortunately find themselves involved in an accident, regardless of ability or if professional or amateur”

ANY SUCCESS STORIES THAT STICK IN MIND?

“We have lots of success stories, ranging from a lady with brain damage who was told she wouldn’t be able to hold down work but who now has her own business through to paralyzed beneficiaries who have gone on to do wonderful feats in sport and other walks of life and to those who are just able to carry on with their life in as normal way as best possible. Every individual’s recovery journey is different but one which we all care about”

The Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund is a fantastic charity based in the UK #eliteequestrian elite equestrian magazine
Mark Davies image feat. Jay Halim, Charlotte Ennor, Scott Brash (c) John Periam Photojournalist 01243 548718

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ALL RIDERS?

“Have insurance, make sure it is adapted to your specific needs and always read the small print. We spend our lives sorting out car and home insurance and even horse insurance but does it really cover you as the rider/handler? Always take as much care as you can to stay safe around horses and don’t take unnecessary risks. The risks in riding are well known, which is even more reason why we all need to stick together to help those less fortunate”

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MDIRF IN 5 YEARS TIME?

“Still helping those in need and having strong sponsor support to enable us to help even more riders”

HOW CAN PEOPLE SUPPORT THE CHARITY?

“Support can be offered in so many ways by donating directly via our just giving page or by contacting me directly through our website. Other support can be given by attending our events here in the UK which we run throughout the year, again see the website for more info. For our US guests, some of our events are extremely exclusive and offer VIP experiences, making them ideal for visitors to the UK as well. You can help by arranging and organizing a fundraising event or if you are an equestrian brand, becoming one of our title sponsors offers ample opportunities to get involved with our popular events and other openings we are presented with”
GIVE US A BREAKDOWN OF A TYPICAL DAY IN THE OFFICE..The Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund is a fantastic charity based in the UK #eliteequestrian elite equestrian magazine

“Despite being available 24/7, we only have a very small team consisting of myself and my colleague, Martha Ivory manning the day to day beneficial side with our Sponsorship & Events Manager, Charlotte Ennor overseeing our events and looking after sponsors. We don’t have an headquarters as such but an office in a room in my house which works for us and keeps overheads low so that we can plough resources as much as we can back into the charity to help those in need”

For further information:
www.mdirf.co.uk

To make a donation:
http://mdirf.co.uk/donate/

For sponsorship enquires:
charlotte@mdirf.co.uk

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