WESTBURY Lions’ tenth annual Donkey Derby proved a galloping success with a record-breaking crowd and over £4,000 raised for charity.
The popular event at White Horse Country Park brought all the excitement of race day on Sunday, with crowds cheering on the young jockeys in eight donkey derby races, together with a wide range of other attractions including a Wild West show, donkey rides, fairground rides, face painting, a mini railway and stalls from local organisations.
“It was a fantastic day and to raise £4,000 is tremendous. What a great result!!” said Westbury Lions’ president Nigel Coward. “That’s around double what we raised last year and by far the biggest amount we’ve raised in the ten years of the event.
“We’d like to thank everyone who came along and who made it such a wonderful day. It was a fantastic event and really well supported by the Westbury community, as always.
“We were a bit worried on the Saturday because of the wet weather but fortunately it dried up on Sunday and I’m sure that helped attract such a bumper crowd.
“The donkey derby is one of the biggest fundraisers on our calendar and all the money raised will be used in our community, via donations to local charities and community groups, schools and individuals in need, so your support WILL make a difference to someone you probably know!
“I’d like to say a special thanks to our sponsors, Westbury Building Services and Suave Wine Bar, to White Horse Country Park for providing such a superb venue, Westbury ATC for looking after the parking and to all the local groups who come along.
“And this year, a special mention for SPC, the specialist rubber company in Cory Way, who had a works day out at the Donkey Derby and treated their workforce to a day out. What a fantastic idea! It would be great if other local companies took up the idea in future years.”