Pony philanthropist

Elizabeth Barratt, 17, set up Project Pony in 2021, loaning talented competition ponies to young riders who wouldn't otherwise have an opportunity to compete

- Kate Johnson

Project Pony started because of Noble Superman, or “Boris”. All the kids we’ve helped have really thrown themselves into it. When I got Boris, I’d only done a few BE90s and he’d just jumped round the pony Europeans. It was a step back for him and it took us a while to get to know each other. He looked after me, from my first BE100 to my personal highlight, my first two-star, the British Pony Championships. Somehow we were third after the dressage, which was never our strong point. He’s so straight, he’ll jump whatever you ask him to. We finished sixth and I absolutely loved it.

When my parents said it was time to sell him, I’d become so attached I couldn’t bear the thought. Dad challenged me to think of a way we could keep him. He thought I’d just decide it was time for him to go, and come to terms with it. I realised the people who generally get to ride these amazing ponies are the ones who can afford to buy them. So many jockeys are much better than I am; I knew I was really lucky, and I thought we could give someone a chance by letting them have Boris.