Sark Sheep Racing still a woolly good day out
WEATHER worries did not deter more than 1,000 punters from descending on the Sark racecourse over the weekend for the annual Sark Sheep Racing event.
The competition, held in a field located just south of the Avenue, was opened at noon on Saturday by Lt-Governor, Lt General Richard Cripwell.
A total of seven sheep races were held, with seven woolly entrants competing in each race.
Committee treasurer Linda Higgins said that, while the event had lost about 500 people due to concerns about the inclement weather, it had still been a huge success, with only one short period of rain on Saturday evening.
‘City Limits kicked things off on Friday with a live music set before His Excellency and his wife opened the event on Saturday, we were so pleased that they could join us,’ she said.
‘There were plenty of stalls and refreshments, as well as hot food and a bar.
‘It’s such a big community event that over 100 volunteers give up their time for, so I’m incredibly grateful to them.’
Among the winning sheep on the day was King Charles out of Buckingham Palace by Royal Assent, who won the prestigious King’s Coronation Cup race.
‘I believe we are the first place in Great Britain to hand out a King’s Coronation Cup, and it was great that a sheep named after King Charles came through to win that particular race,’ Ms Higgins said.
All money raised from the event goes towards the Professor Charles Saint Sark Medical Trust, which subsidises the cost of medicine for Sark residents.
‘I can’t reveal exactly how much was raised as we haven’t finished counting it yet, but all will be revealed when we present the cheque to the trust in December,’ Ms Higgins said.
