Good causes benefit from Cutcombe Show proceeds

MORE than £2,500 has been distributed to local good causes following this year’s Cutcombe Horse Show and Gymkhana.
Show treasurer Nigel Dobbins said the accounts presented a rosy picture as several areas of the annual event had shown an increase in takings this year - and that was after the 2006 show was considered to have seen a good result - and the dog show and terrier shows also continued to go from strength to strength with large entries.
Show secretary Di Stevens said the resounding success was due to the help and support received from sponsors, competitors, supporters, and the many helpers, such as the work party who set up the show and the team on the day who made sure all jobs were covered, and those who cleared up afterwards.
Mrs Stevens said: “We had a dry day, entries were excellent, and there was plenty for spectators to enjoy around the rings, including the wonderful fancy dress competition which had lots of colourful entries.
“There was plenty of home made food for sale, plus a barbecue and a licensed bar, and Styles Ice Cream had a van supporting us to keep everybody cool, while the Minehead Harriers gave a superb display in the main ring.”
Mrs Stevens said the show was started for two reasons, firstly to provide children who did not have ‘show’ ponies with an opportunity to enter their little ‘hairy’ and be in with a good chance of winning a rosette, and secondly to raise funds to be shared between Cutcombe First School and other village amenities.
This year’s funds were distributed as follows: £600 each to Cutcombe School and Cutcombe Church, £100 to the pre-school nursery, £50 for the parish party fund, a £250 donation to CLOWNS, £400 for the Moorland Hall, and £500 plus £15 collected in a bucket for the Devon Air Ambulance.
Mrs Stevens said: “We would like to thank everybody who helped in any way to make this fantastic outcome possible.”

• Our photograph shows Mrs Margaret Hawker (left) presenting the http://www.selfdriveyourhorse.com/ Cup for the best turned out rider, a new award, to Fay Reed, on Pollyanna. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref CUT070040. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.

New air ambulance quickly in action in West Somerset

THE new Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance helicopter went into service on Thursday, March 1, and almost immediately flew on a mission in West Somerset.
The air ambulance was called to Minehead when an elderly woman was taken ill during the afternoon.
It was only the crew’s third mission in the new Eurocopter EC 135 aircraft, which offers a quicker, quieter, and smoother flight than the Bolkow 105dbs it has replaced.
The distinctive yellow colour helicopter landed on the Minehead Town Football Club pitch off Irnham Road ready to airlift the patient.
Unfortunately, the woman was understood to have died before she could be flown to hospital.
The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance service has been operating since 2000 and has helped to save hundreds of lives, receiving on average three to four calls a day.
It has taken the air ambulance trust two years of fund-raising to upgrade to the new generation of aircraft.
The helicopter costs more than £3,500 a day to run and is funded entirely by charitable donations.
The new aircraft was officially launched by the Princess Royal at The Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton.
It has moved from its previous base in Henstridge, between Sherborne and Shaftesbury, to a new home at AgustaWestland’s Yeovil airfield, which provides improved facilities for the aircraft and crew and should help it to more quickly reach the scene of an emergency.

• Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M010015. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.