Simon Cowell.
Martin Shaw.
Jenny Seagrove.
Nichola McAuliffe.
Heather McCartney, Paul and Linda’s eldest daughter.
Wendy Turner, Anthea’s sister.
Gary Webster, who stars in The Minder.
Nicholas Ball and Russell Floyd, who both appear in East Enders.
Bill Kenwright, an ex-actor, the owner of Everton Football Club and the biggest impressario in the West End.
Sara pictured with Echo, a
dark bay Thoroughbred mare, who is suffering from an extremely rare
disease called Maries Disease. She is the only horse in the country
suffering from this disease, which causes her legs to grow new bone
and become incredibly mis-shapen. When she was diagnosed four years
ago, she was given just three-months to live.
As if Echo hasn't got enough problems, she has now lost her sight.
>>
The Horse Refuge at Wittersham, Kent isn’t just a five star
horse rescue and re-homing centre, it is also backed by no end of
famous five –star show business stars and personalities.
Some of them even turn up there at the week-end and take the horses out for a ride.
<< Caspar with Joe in background!
Jenny Seagrove.
"She’s one of my oldest and dearest friends. Known her for years. She loves
horses," says Sara Ross, who founded The Horse Refuge over 10-years ago when
it was based at Westerham, Kent.
Martin Shaw
"Lovely man. Very good rider. He often comes down here. He rides my horse, My Jack, a 16.1 British Sports horse. He’s 17-years-old. But his favourite horse is Caspar the Great. He’s a magnificent grey cob standing about 16 hh. He came to us as a youngster suffering badly from ragwort poisoning. His eyes were blistered and he had weeping sores from his nose and sheath."
Simon Cowell
"Simon is the latest to offer us his support. The amazing thing is it all happened by chance."
"The farmer who owns the land where the Refuge is based has got to sell. We’ve got to buy it for £600,000 or else we’ll be forced to move. But there’s no way we’ll move because some of the horses just wouldn’t survive the upheaval."
"So I’ve been writing to lots of people asking them for their help. Among them, Simon Cowell."
Sara and Duke >>
"Then at the beginning of December I got a phone call from someone in Simon Cowell’s office in London. They said he wanted to see me. So I went up to see him."
"He’s a lovely, lovely man. Fabulous. Very warm. He was very interested in the sanctuary. He said he wanted to hear everything, He said he wanted to draw awareness to our plight, to help us raise all the money we needed. He even said he was going to send us a donation to kick-start the campaign. I didn’t ask him how much. Well, you don’t do that kind of thing do you?"
Whether you do or do not, Sara should know. Before starting The Horse Refuge, she worked in the Houses of Parliament as a Personal Assistant and Researcher so she knows all there is to know about protocol, etiquette and what to ask and what not to ask.
But that’s not all. She is also an experienced horsewoman.
She was born in Chelsea. Her father owned racehorses. Where he kept them and how well they did, she can’t remember.
But she can remember when she first discovered ponies.
<< Joe
"When I was
about two or three-years-old, the family came to Wittersham on holiday. My
mother was not well. It was felt the air in Wittersham was better than in London.
It was then that I rode my first pony, Bimbo. He was a Shetland. He was fun."
"After that, we moved to Surrey. After Bimbo, I got Harvey, a New Forest pony. He was 13.2. Then Raffles. He was 15 hh. Then a black Thoroughbred X called King. We used to go to all the local competitions. I had a great time. Nothing serious. But it was great fun."
"After that we went to live in Yorkshire. Then, the Lake District. I remember once, there was a big storm and I came off with my leg still in the stirrup. That was quite exciting."
Sara and Duke >>
Today Sara’s excitement comes from rescuing not only horses but also ducks, geese, assorted feral cats, Bassett hounds, parrots, a rosella parakeet, a very voluble umbrella cockatoo, a goat called Colin, who thinks it’s a dog and Wol, a tawny owl, who can’t feed itself or fly very well.
Some how or other, she also manages to get in some riding.
Her favourite: All of them.
"I love them all," she says. "I ride Joe and Jack and plan to ride Duke, all of whom I am completely in love with."
"My Joe is a tall, grey Irish draught. 17 hh. About 16 years old. A beautiful, gentle boy, who is sadly now losing his sight."
"Jack is a British Sports Horse. 16 hh. About 17 years-old. He weaves when stressed. He also likes to pull grumpy faces although he is very good mannered and a perfect gentleman to handle."
"And, of course, Duke, who at 19.3 hh and still growing is probably the tallest horse in Europe and lives in a specially-built stable, with all his specially-made rugs and munches his way through no less than £80 of food every week."
<< Sara and Jack
But which horse does Sara think would best suit Simon Cowell if he came to visit the Refuge?
"I don’t know if he rides," she says. "But I see him on top of a beautiful, stunning horse. He’d be perfect for Dressage to Music. Maybe we could get him to produce a show called The Horse Factor. With all the proceeds going to The Horse Refuge."
"But whether he can ride or not, it doesn’t matter. He is already my Knight in Shining Armour."
