Scarlett Vaux, 11, started the ride on Monday, accompanied by her father Piers who rode his mare Jacanda. Last Tuesday afternoon they arrived during the race meeting and Scarlett rode around the paddock in front of a packed stand having completed the ride. She said:
“It feels great to have done it and I feel really good. My pony was brilliant and behaved really well.”
Scarlett is a year six pupil at Blundells School and one of their projects was to organize a charitable event. She decided to raise money for the IJF and ride from racecourse to racecourse as her grandfather Major General Nick Vaux is a former chairman of Exeter and a keen racing man. She said:
“My grandfather loves racing and he’s brought me to Exeter before and I’ve really enjoyed it. We bought Sahnjay in January and I’ve just started competing on him. He’s only seven but he’s lovely and he was really good on the ride.”
The route was planned by Scarlett’s father and avoiding the M5, they walked along bridleways and lanes, crossing the Blackdown Hills and passing through Hemyock, Blackborough, Bradninch, Silverton, Thorverton, Newton St Cyres and Ide until they reached Haldon Forest and rode onto the racecourse.
So far Scarlett has raised £1300, excluding Tuesday’s racecourse collection. Donations can be made via Scarlett’s Just Giving page. www.justgiving.com/owner- email/pleasesponsor/ scarlettvaux
