International equine charity Brooke teamed up with the Suffolk Punch Trust for a special event last week (12 July). On Wednesday, the international organisation hosted an event in Hollesley to acknowledge the important role of its UK supporters. The event, a first of its kind, was held at the home of the Suffolk Punch Trust, a charity dedicated to protecting endangered horses.
Guests were given a tour of the Suffolk Punch Farm to meet the critically endangered Suffolk Punch horse, of which only 500 remain in the UK. The Trust has used an established breeding programme at its Hollesley farm for over 250 years. Attendees also heard from Brooke representatives about their work to protect and improve the lives of over 1.4 million working horses, donkeys and mules around the world.
“It was brilliant for our supporters to get an update on our work in Brooke’s country programmes, as well as see the valuable work that the Suffolk Punch Trust do,” said Joey Jeetun, Senior Events and Stewardship Officer at Brooke.
Suffolk Punch horses were originally used in farm work and heavy labour – like many working equines across Brooke’s countries of operation today. The increasing use of machinery in agriculture, combined with devastating loss during the Second World War, led to a sharp decline in the number of this species.
