Philippa Kemp-Welch is a British Horse Society coach who, in 2018, rode 140 miles across Mongolia to raise funds for the charity. Ahead of a screening of All the Wild Horses, about the world’s longest and toughest endurance horse race in the country, she prepares to give a talk on her epic adventure
First things first, who are you and what do you do?
I’m Philippa Kemp-Welch and I’m a freelance BHS Accredited Level 4 Complete Coach. I’m currently a Welfare Advisor for BHS Suffolk and I also work part-time at Potsford Care Farm near Wickham Market in Suffolk, where I help clients with horse care and encourage them to achieve some of the BHS Challenge Awards. I moved to East Anglia from North Yorkshire in 2003.
When did your love of horses begin and how have horses shaped your life and career?
I started riding aged six, owned my own horse at 13, and have worked with horses and riders all my life, including starting and running a BHS riding and training centre near York for 30 years.
How did you get involved as a coach with the British Horse Society?
Having been a Pony Club member, I joined the BHS in order to gain professional qualifications and have continued to develop my career through the BHS ever since, and it’s thanks to the BHS that I’ve been able to make a career from my passion, which I’ve been able to share with many others.
Describe your equestrian adventure in Mongolia in 2018, and how much money did you raise for the British Horse Society?
The ride across Mongolia covered 140 miles, many at a gallop, over mountains, across sand dunes and desert. It was in many ways life-enhancing and maybe at some points life-threatening, but a marvellous opportunity to participate in an amazing experience and raise over £4,000 for the charity’s welfare fund.
British Horse Society Coach Philippa Kemp-Welch is introducing a special screening of the award-winning documentary film, All The Wild Horses, at the Spill Think Tank in Ipswich (next door to Ipswich Museum) at 7pm on Wednesday 17th April. Philippa will share some of her experiences of the epic fundraising ride that she undertook in Mongolia in 2018, and give the audience some insight into the culture and lifestyle of the Mongolian herders, their horses, and the environment they live in. Tickets are £6, with tea and coffee included, and all proceeds will go to the British Horse Society. The British Horse Society exists to change lives through the power of horses, protecting and promoting the interests of all horses and those who care about them, across welfare, education and access. For more information about local events and opportunities and joining, supporting or volunteering for the BHS in the East of England, visit bhs.org.uk. For more details and to book tickets for the film screening, visit tickettailor.com.
Featured image of Philippa Kemp-Welch in Mongolia. All images supplied.
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