Friend's appeal to fund showjumping wings in memory of horse lover Gracie Spinks

Gracie, who lived in Old Whittington, was fatally stabbed while tending to her beloved horse Paddy in a field near Staveley Road, Duckmanton, on June 18 last year.

Friends of the 23-year-old now hope to create a special set of show jumping wings as a permanent memorial to her – and are appealing for help to raise the £600 needed to cover the costs.

The aim is to present the wings to Eckington Riding Club, which will host a show jumping class next month in memory of Gracie as part of a commemorative horse show to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Claire Barley, who set up the GoFundMe appeal, said: “Eckington Riding Club have introduced a special class just for Gracie, called ‘Gracie’s charm’ as chosen by her mum Alison.

"It’s going to be a fun class which is what Gracie was about and we'd like to raise enough money to have a special set of mermaid jumps made because we all knew that Gracie was obsessed with mermaids... there’s even talk that she believed them to be real.

"We thought it would be such a wonderful gesture and lasting memorial to Gracie that we could have these wings designed, made and presented to the club in time for this commemorative show and Gracie’s special class.”

The jump wings have been commissioned and are currently in the process of being made by Redkite Showjumps.

Once ready, they will become a permanent fixture at Eckington Riding Club and will be available for those within the equestrian community to enjoy when competing, which is what friends say Gracie loved doing best.

Claire added: “It’s more than just a set of jump wings. They’ll be really elaborately made in a mermaid style. We want them to be breathtakingly beautiful like Gracie was and we want them to stand out and just to reflect what Gracie was, which is beautiful.

"I’m confident these are going to be a fitting tribute to Gracie, but we’re still short of the funds we need. I’ve spoken to Gracie’s mum and any funds raised above what is needed for the jumps will be donated to charity.”

To support the fundraiser visit www.gofundme.com/f/gracie-spinks-mermaid-jumps.

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