Molly hacks 100 miles on Jura for charity
Jura teenager Molly Fletcher has hacked 100.1 miles in 100 days to raise hundreds of pounds for a charity working with horses, donkeys and mules around the world.
The 15-year-old signed up for equine charity Brooke’s MyHackathon challenge to keep busy in the summer school holidays.
With her Dales pony George, she completed the challenge on August 13 tackling Jura’s tricky wet and boggy terrain full of tussocks, raising £568.
There is only one single track road running the length of the island and Molly’s mum Claire often cycled ahead to keep her safe from any on-coming cars and wild deer – red deer outnumber people 30 to one.
Molly even found herself up against an enormous adder one day out riding.
George has been owned by Molly's family for four years. Before that he had been moved around six other homes and his behaviour had suffered as a result.
‘We turned to Cara Gelati at Wilderways in Argyll, who gave us lots of help and suggested he needed more challenges. He certainly got one this time.
‘Molly’s been incredibly patient and determined, and often frustrated and tearful, but is now seeing the results, as is George,’ said Claire.
This is charity Brooke’s second annual MyHackathon fundraiser, with a special emphasis on 100 years since the end of the Second World War where eight million horses, donkeys and mules lost their lives – many from fierce shellfire and gas attacks but also due to harsh living conditions.
‘Unfortunately these conditions are still very much a reality for the 100 million equines working around the world today.
‘It’s thanks to fundraisers like Molly that Brooke is able to reach more and more of them each year and make long lasting improvements to their lives and the families who depend on them,’ said a charity spokesman.
Molly’s mum added: ‘This challenge ticked the box for Molly as it involved fundraising for horse welfare. It would mean riding a lot more, and she was also very aware of the local commemorations on Islay for the Second World War. We’re very proud of her and George.’