Cookie’s Badminton Fundraiser

Hi,

My name is Lauren, a grassroots eventer from Surrey, and I own Cookie, a 17 year old Irish sports pony.

Cookie’s story:

We first started eventing in 2020, we registered for BE and dreamt of being able to ride on Badminton soil one day, but with horses comes challenges, and we have not had a plain sailing journey at all!

In 2021 Cookie became unbalanced, so we began investigations and after several months discovered he had arthritis in his hocks, lumbar and mild Kissing Spine. We completed his rehabilitation programme successfully, after a lot of worry (and money!) so 2022 we could begin eventing again!

2022 came around, and we started the season with consistent double clears at BE90 & 100, but cut our season short after I sadly lost my first pony, Pepper, and could not process riding at this time.

Over winter our training for the next season began, and Cookie felt incredibly game for 2023, I was so excited! But in March 2023 we had to rush Cookie into Liphook Equine Hospital, where we all prepared ourselves for the worst whilst vets were completely baffled by Cookie’s symptoms. We had been told to prepare to not ride again, therefore not compete again, and I was completely devastated but also just wanted Cookie to be home safely. Miraculously Cookie came home a week later, and we removed his shoes ready to retire him, as a 15 year old pony who was clipped out and looked like he was ready to go competing! But we knew he wasn’t sound, and did not know how to fix him.

Skip to the end of 2023 and I desperately wanted to try and find a way to get Cookie back on track; he wasn’t coping being a retired pony as he thrives off his work. I invested in horse communicators, chiropractors, a Bowen therapist, saddlers, dentists, and as a team we managed to get Cookie riding away again - and he was loving it!

Beginning of 2024 I began hacking to our local competition venue, as we do not have transport but I desperately wanted to see how he felt at a show! He won his first dressage show back, after 18 months of not competing! Our competition buzz came back, we continued hacking to Parwood for unaffiliated dressage and show jumping, where he came home with prize money and a placing each outing!

We then made the decision to register BE again, and what an incredible season he has had! His first event of the season - Munstead BE90 he placed 3rd, and then every event since he has been consistently amazing. With 4 top 10 placings, completing BE100 double clear, 100% clear XC rate all season, winning dressage results and finally - qualifying for badminton!

This journey with Cookie has by no means been easy, but it has been completely worth it. Cookie is known as the ‘comeback king’ to our friends, because he has made the impossible, possible, and we have been so excited planning our badminton trip for 2025 with all our friends and family - but on 10/04/2025, Cookie pulled up lame.

We are now looking into putting pads under his shoes, further physio sessions and supplements, but this all comes at a huge cost which after wracking up a lot of debt from his previous issues, I just sadly do not have the money to experiment further.

If you can help in any way, we would greatly appreciate it. Cookie deserves to go to Badminton.❤️