As part of National Racecourse Week, Southampton based charity, Communicare, was able to help a mix of their service users and volunteers visit a Stud Farm with support from Great British Racing.
Knowing that a lot of people find it challenging to get out by themselves, they visited Whitsbury Manor Stud near Fordingsbridge, Hampshire to get a behind-the-scenes experience.
Whitsbury Manor Stud is known across Europe for their quality roster of performing riders – including Sergei Prokofiev and his world class horse Showcasing. They have a leading source of commercial stallions, making this a rare opportunity for members in the charity.
Head of Bloodstock & Sales at Whitsbury Manor Stud, Joe Callan spoke out about holding the event: “It was great to host Communicare and their guests at Whitsbury Manor Stud to celebrate National Racehorse Week (NRW).
“NRW is all about giving the public a chance to come behind-the-scenes of what we do and meet our wonderful horses and seeing the smiles on the faces of visitors interacting with the foals, yearlings, stallions and broodmares was really rewarding for everyone on the team.”
Image: Communicare Southampton
Annie Clewlow, manager of Southampton Communicare, spoke out about the necessity of these trips in promoting social interaction – something that largely benefits the rounded health and wellbeing of any individual.
She said: “Outings like this also promote physical activity, stimulate the mind, and offer a change of scenery, improving one’s mood and cognitive function. We met the amazing Showcasing, who is probably the top stallion in the world, as well as the wonderful Havana Grey and the brilliant Sergei Prokofiev.
“We’re here to help people live their best lives, rather than to just exist. There has been lots of research showing how loneliness impacts on both someone’s physical and mental wellbeing.”
When there, the visitors spent the day together – seeing foals, yearlings, broodmares, and resident stallions on site.
Image: Communicare Southampton
Anna continued: “It’s known as a ‘silent killer.’ So, trips out and partnerships like this, with organisations like Great British Racing and Whitsbury Manor Stud, are so important. It was a privilege to have linked up with them to have our once in a lifetime behind-the-scenes visit. It’s something our service users, volunteers and team will be talking about for many years to come.”
Communicare is a local charity in Southampton that seeks to enrich the lives of lonely and isolated individuals, through services such as befriending, shopping, gardening, and getting out and about.
Lenka Fremerova, a Trustee of the charity, reflected on the event as a huge success for everyone involved.
She said: “The fabulous weather, knowledgeable stud farm team and the relaxing pub lunch afterwards, while watching the donkeys go by made our day a great success! We all enjoyed the benefits of nature, learning a great deal about stunning horses, our lovely meal, good chat and, most of all, the spirit of being together.”
