Jockeys (L-R) Jimmy Quinn, Jack Mitchell, Luke Morris, Tom Marquand, Stevie Donohoe, Pat Cosgrave and Richard Kingscote celebrate the milestone of 50,000 donated tickets.
55 British racecourses have in total donated more than 50,000 free tickets to the British Armed Forces through the military charity Tickets For Troops.
On Friday 13 May, seven jockeys, including Jimmy Quinn, Luke Morris and Pat Cosgrave marked this phenomenal milestone with a photo in the parade ring at Newmarket Racecourse to thank all the supporting racecourses across the UK.
Since Tickets For Troops launched in 2009, a staggering 50,000 tickets have been donated by racecourses.
In partnership with the British Horseracing Authority, Tickets For Troops (www.ticketsfortroops.org.uk) has been supported by 55 racecourses from all over the UK including Ayr, York, Chepstow and Newmarket.
Steve Harman, Chairman of the British Horseracing Authority said:
“It is great to see British racecourses coming together to achieve such a big milestone for this fantastic charity. Well done Tickets For Troops!”
“Many of Racing’s constituents support UK military charities, and we will continue to do so. It is so important that we in Racing give to those serving soldiers and veterans who make such an enormous contribution to our country, a contribution for which we are forever thankful.”
Racecourses donate free tickets to the charity for their regular and Premier race days throughout the year including The Grand National Opening Day at Aintree, Royal Ascot and The Open at Cheltenham.
Sophia Dale, Regional Communications Manager at Cheltenham Racecourse said:
“We are delighted to have supported Tickets For Troops for the past three seasons, with complimentary tickets for a raceday at Cheltenham Racecourse. Being able to support those in the armed forces is hugely rewarding and we are glad that it’s been such a successful partnership.”
Amy Starkey, Regional Director, Jockey Club Racecourses East Region, said:
“Being able to give something back to the Armed Forces is an absolute pleasure and we are glad to be part of such a fantastic initiative. We look forward to welcoming them on course for years to come.”
Ashley Morton-Hunte, Press Officer at Ascot racecourse said:
“We are delighted to be able to offer troops the opportunity to come and enjoy the racing at Ascot. It is our chance to give something back and we are proud to support such a fantastic cause.”
Veronica Bamford, Director of Operations at Tickets For Troops said:
“We are extremely proud to be marking such a huge milestone today. The British horseracing community are long-term supporters of the charity and we are extremely grateful to them for providing 50,000 opportunities for our troops to enjoy race days across the UK with their families and friends to reward them for their service to our country.”
Tom Marquand, Apprentice Jockey and BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year finalist said:
“It is fantastic to see British Horseracing working with Tickets For Troops to give something back to the hard working armed forces.”
Tickets For Troops is a charity that provides complimentary tickets to current serving members of the armed forces and those who have been medically discharged from the armed forces since 2001.
Many troops who benefit from the charity endure long periods of separation from their families due to operational tours, cutting leave short to assist communities with floods or living apart from their families during the week.
About Tickets For Troops
• Tickets For Troops (TFT) was set up in 2009 to provide members of the Armed Forces with free tickets for major sporting events, theatre performances, music concerts and cultural attractions.
• Since launching TFT has been donated over 850,000 tickets and over 140,000 troops have registered on the website.
• Tickets are available on the TFT website to troops who are currently serving or who have been medically discharged since 2001.
• Tickets For Troops has teamed up with a wide range of organisations and has been able to offer free tickets to a huge number of high profile events, including The London Olympics and Paralympics, Invictus Games, The BRIT Awards, the Isle of Wight Festival, Formula One British Grand Prix, the FA Cup, Les Misérables, The Ideal Home Show, Premier League Football, the Aviva rugby Premiership, The British Summer Time Hyde Park series. The Calling Festival, Coldwell Boxing, darts and many others.
• This initiative has attracted maximum support from a host of Patrons, including James Blunt, Steve Hayes, WO1 Kim Hughes GC and Prime Minister’s wife Samantha Cameron.
• Troops are encouraged to go online and register at www.ticketsfortroops.org.uk to take advantage of the fantastic tickets available for our Armed Forces
