Ludlow Hunt ladies' day raises money for BowelBabe

Charity fundraising is practically second nature for many hunts. Packs up and down the country are regularly doing their bit to raise funds for local and national charities and we are frequently reporting on stories where hunts have gone above and beyond to raise much needed funds for these good causes.

Most recently the Shropshire-based Ludlow Hunt hosted a ladies’ day which took place on Tuesday, 4 February, near Ludlow. Georgina Owen, senior master of the Ludlow Hunt said:

"The second Ludlow Hunt Ladies’ Day, has raised £416 for BowelBabe. Following on from the success of last year’s event, and despite the inclement weather, the day was hugely supported once again by so many wonderful women from other trail packs around the country.”

Georgina continued: “We were proud to show off the glorious Ludlow countryside to our fellow trail hunting ladies. It was even better that we were able to raise money for a very important charity which is a lifeline for so many people living with bowel cancer."

Polly Portwin, Director of the Campaign for Hunting at the Countryside Alliance praised those involved:

“Hunts like the Ludlow continue to play an important part in their local communities and this is yet another example of the selfless fundraising that hunts and their supporters carry out every year to support good causes which are vital in times of need for so many people.”

Innovative days, such as ladies’ days, and every other day’s trail hunting rely massively on the generous support of farmers and landowners, while also offering the opportunity to do things a little bit differently in aid of good causes. Georgina explained more about how their day was organised:

“The morning meet began with pink fizz and breakfast canapes organised by the Ludlow Hunt Club and hosted in prime Ludlow jumping country. Followers also received an ‘Afternoon Tea’ box, complete with pink ‘Ludlow Ladies’ Day 2025’ snood. Farrier, Martin Darby, followed all day to ensure that the horses were catered for, replacing lost shoes, if required.”

We have had so much positive feedback, which has made all the hard work worthwhile. Participants were also able to purchase memories of the day from the photographers, Equinepix Photography, who spent a hair-raising day on the back of a quad to capture the all-important moments."

The BowelBabe fund was set up to raise money for Cancer Research UK to continue the legacy of Dame Deborah James who died of Bowel Cancer in 2022. They fund cutting edge research into early detection and personalised medicine, raise awareness of signs and symptoms and tackle the stigmas around cancer. As a charity they have raised £16million and have reached millions of lives.

Registered hunts donated in excess of £460,000 to different charities in a recent six-month period. These funds were raised through the organisation of many different activities including auctions, supporters’ donations, raffles, hunt rides and other creative ways.

Image: Jan Reynolds