‘An amazing, bright, loving person’: rider organises charity show in her son’s memory

A rider is using her passion for horses to raise funds for brain tumour research, in memory of her son who died aged 27.

Christine Nicholls has organised the The Ollie Nicholls Showing Show, taking place at Broads Equestrian Centre, Barnby, Suffolk, on 8 September, in memory of Ollie, who died in November 2023.

The show is raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity, a global research-led charity “committed to saving and improving lives”.

Christine told H&H that Ollie was diagnosed with a stage three cancerous brain tumour in April 2022, and died 19 months later.

“Ollie was an amazing, bright, loving person. He was the baby of our family and losing him at 27 knocked us all for six,” she said.

“Ollie started riding at the age of 11 at a local riding school, then rode for the next four years before taking up his passion for skateboarding. He still used to spend a lot of his spare time at our yard, and even towards the end Ollie, however unwell he was, still managed to come to see the horses daily. His happy place was at home with us and his two dogs Rosie & Lola.”

The show, which Christine plans to run annually, has 29 classes including ridden and in-hand sections, plus championships. There will also be a raffle with prizes donated from a number of equestrian retailers and local businesses.

Christine is also starting a winter dressage league at Broads Equestrian in October, with the proceeds going to The Brain Tumour Charity.

“I am absolutely humbled at the support we have had from major companies and smaller businesses. I thank them all – without them we wouldn’t be able to run the show,” she said.

“We are hopeful that one day more can be done for others that are unlucky enough to find themselves in the same position that Ollie was. Ollie will always be remembered. He was kind, thoughtful and funny; one of those people that you will only ever meet once in a lifetime. That’s Ollie Nicholls!”

For more information and to enter the show contact: ollienichollsshowingshow@yahoo.com.

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