Living Legends has launched its second annual Horses’ Birthday giving day as 1994 Caulfield Cup winner Paris Lane celebrates his 30th birthday. Now sharing a paddock with one of the youngest residents in Tom Melbourne (turning 10), Paris Lane is the oldest horse at Living Legends, followed by Rogan Josh at 29.
In a year that has seen past champions Might And Power and Chief De Beers pass away as well as the devastating effects of COVID-19, CEO & Veterinary Director Dr Andrew Clarke said there’s never been a more important time to ask the community for support.
“There’s no doubt we’re doing it tough this year, like many people and many charities are. We’ve lost at least six months worth of tour and event bookings, we made all the changes to recover from COVID and then the second wave came. It’s been a really tough year, but we’re determined to look to the future, work hard and raise the necessary funds so we can keep going and continue our community work.”
“Today’s Horses’ Birthday fundraiser is an important part of that process, to help us weather the storm and come out stronger so we can continue to share the joy of horses with people of all ages and all abilities,” Dr Clarke said.
The Horses’ Birthday giving day is being held in conjunction with Sportsbet, with all donations made today to be matched. Last year’s event raised over $91,000 for Living Legends, and with giving off to a flying start the target for 2020 is to raise $80,000 by the end of today.
The 26 Living Legends in residence have been divided into six teams, with supporters being asked to donate to their favourite team. That includes a Melbourne Cup team captained by Efficient, a lucky placegetters’ team captained by Tom Melbourne, and a team of Hong Kong Horse Of The Year winners captained by Silent Witness.
More information and team lists are located on the Horses’ Birthday campaign site here.