Trainer launches crowdfunder to help horses rescued from Ukraine
Kelleway has been on a mission to deliver goods and medical aid to horses affected by the devastating conflict.
A crowdfunding appeal has been launched to buy supplies for horses rescued from Ukraine.
Launched by Gay Kelleway, a racehorse trainer from Newmarket, the appeal aims to raise £40,000 to help equines being cared for at the rehabilitation horse hub on the Poland-Ukraine border.
She hopes the funding will also be used to help reunite horses with their owners in Europe who have fled Ukraine.
Kelleway has been on a mission to deliver goods and medical aid to horses affected by the devastating conflict. In recent months, she has made several round trips of around 2,000 miles to the Polish border to drop off supplies, including rugs and bedding.
The trainer, who is based at Queen Alexandra Stables, also plans to rehome some of the horses in the UK and hopes to establish a charity to help fund the horse hub.
Speaking to the Racing Post on her way back from Poland in April, Kelleway said: "It's horrendous. Horses have been so good to me in life, without them I'd be nothing. I felt I had to do something, and what I saw today was heartbreaking. It's awful.
"Me and Neil Carson, my co-driver, were going to stay but we were told we would be of more help going back and getting more supplies to keep it going to bring horses back next week. It isn't getting better this war, in fact, it's getting far worse.
"This isn't a holiday, this is a mission. We want to get back there as soon as we can to help the horses and everyone. Please contact me if you have anything you can donate towards helping the horses."
The mission to rescue horses in Ukraine is being organised by Charlie Thornycroft, a former PA to the late Khalid Abdullah, along with veterinary professionals from Ukraine and across Europe.
At the time of writing, Kelleway's fundraising campaign had reached £28,000 of its £40,000 target. To donate to the appeal, visit justgiving.com
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
