Western Region Annual Report for the AGM 2015
The Western Region has enjoyed another busy year with plenty of activities to report. Several donkeys will be
put forward for their respective Active Donkey Awards and there has been an encouraging response from
members with their donkeys to attend Church Services, Village events, Country Fairs, three Sponsored Webster
Walks, and two major events organised by the Royal Three Counties Showground. Attendance at these has
undoubtedly done much to raise the profile of donkeys in the eyes of the general public.
Deserving special mention are the Nativity Pageants in Cirencester Parish Church and then in Hereford Cathedral
last December, masterminded and stage managed by Canon Andrew and Sue Bowden, and assisted by ready help
from voluntary church and cathedral staff. Seven donkeys acted as themselves and as camels, and Bridget Smith
Sheila Bell, Jean Fooks, Judy Lane, Sue Bowden Eileen Parker and Sue Farr brought Lucy Lockett, Peter, Gigi, Lily,
Gentle, Tommy Tucker and Meagan to take part. No fewer than 550 Primary School children filled the cathedral
for this very moving enactment of the Christmas story. A full page photo of the final tableau at Hereford
appeared on the back cover of The Asset, the magazine of the National Miniature Donkey Association, USA.
Jean Fooks put on her own Nativity Play in her stables with a local choir and actors and with her contented
donkeys in the surrounding stables to make the scene even more authentic. Baby Jesus really was being cradled
in the straw. Jean has a marvellous way of encouraging the general public in to see her donkeys and raises
considerable funds for charities in so doing. She held Open Stables again this summer in spite of bad weather for
the first opening planned. During the Christmas Event she was presented with the Marjorie Dunkels Award, given
at the AGM for her well-deserved contribution towards bringing donkeys into the public eye and we are proud
that again a Western Region member has been so honoured.
Countrytastic on a bright, warm day for once, was again a huge Spring Holiday event at the Royal Three Counties
Show Ground. The fine weather brought in thousands of schoolchildren who enjoyed meeting and talking about
the many animals and poultry. Claire Harper had her usual support in Sheila Bell and Sue Farr who each supplied
the donkeys and Judy Lane and Anna Turner who gave additional support at the DBS stand . It is a long and tiring
day for handlers and donkeys, but well worth it with such interest being shown in the donkeys.
We found a similar chance to meet the public at the Bredon Court School Country Fair. The school has a special
focus on farming and animals and is sited in a fine country park, near Tewkesbury. There was considerable
interest in the two donkeys brought by Eileen Parker and Sue Farr; our first time at this event which brought in
over 4000 visitors. This Fair proved an excellent inter-face for our donkeys with children and adults.
Island Farm Championship Show organised by John McLaren and Linda Chilton goes from strength to strength.
The addition of more classes for Juniors and Driving Classes organised by Peter and Angela Scales made it a show
for all donkey owners, and with the popular dog show too perhaps a show for even more donkey supporters, who
can’t for some reason own an equine.
We are very aware that quite a large proportion of our membership are lovers, but not owners of donkeys , or
that they and their donkeys have retired from active participation. Meeting together to talk about donkeys seems
popular and if we are to cater for all our membership we should be organising more events in the Areas where
socialising and perhaps meeting other people’s donkeys might prove popular.
Sheila Bell’s lovely Summer Party attracted 53 members and a lot of lively donkey chat went on .
We have been re-organising the administrative side of our region, not only to comply more closely with Charity
Commission rules, but to spread the load and hopefully to bring Area Representatives into greater prominence.
Geographically we cover a large area of the country and we cannot hope to keep our members in touch with the
parent body and our own regional activities without the presence of a donkey enthusiast in each of our areas to
do some very energetic promoting, on a more personal level. Fortunately we are lucky enough have a good few of
these Representatives in place already, but Staffordshire has been without an Area Representative for nearly a
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year. We shall be talking about this problem and our hopes for even more personal links with members at our
AGM. We hope the outcome will be to put us in touch with members to hear what they would like arranged for
them. This is a main objective for next year.
We have only one Junior member, eager enough to take part in activities and already a promising Learner Driver,
but so sad for her to be on her own. The Agility Day at Garraway House, How Caple drew interest from
Herefordshire and Worcestershire and we had lots of little girls and one boy eager to learn to handle a donkey.
One new senior member also came along and made rapid strides in the care of sensible, steady Peter Bell,
winning with ease the mini competition at the end, while a 7 year old from the village, handling one of the
resident Miniature Donkeys won the ‘most promising’ accolade. All those living close enough would like to come
in to meet the donkeys again, so I am copying Jean Fooks’s idea of holding ‘open stables’ events next summer.
At Knighton Show on the Welsh border, a small, but very enthusiastic group of members showed their donkeys
under David Harbinson’s eye. Sheila Bell’s Red Country Boy Blue won the Challenge Trophy for Best Donkey.
Bridget Smith organised the classes at this friendly show where the equine classes, and in particular some fine
heavy horses, are well worth watching. All moved on to the Town Carnival at mid-day where the donkeys
proudly led the procession of bands and floats through the main street, crowded with people.
Our former Secretary Claire Harper is out of hospital following a knee replacement and is beginning to walk
again. With Worcestershire as one of the most flourishing of our regions we hope she will soon be able to be in
action with them again as their Area Representative. Claire has regularly held open house on Wednesdays, at her
home near Evesham and is an example of how personal contact really works in encouraging active membership.
In Claire’s absence the DBS stand at the Autumn Show at The Royal Three Counties Ground was organised by
Eileen Parker with Sheila Bell bringing Peter, Amadea and Bluey on the Saturday, and on the Sunday Anna and
Peter Turner brought Humfrey George, while Rachel Whiteley and her daughters, Abby and Lucie brought their
donkey Millie. Kate and Angela Scales and Judy Lane assisted Eileen on the stand. John Harper gave invaluable
help in setting it up. Collection boxes were made available on the stand and £59.00 was collected in aid of the
Donkey Breed Society and £61.13 for The Donkey Sanctuary.
Two driving events have been organised by Judy Lane, Area Representative of North Gloucestershire taking
learners through long reining instruction to driving a donkey in two sessions. The instructor is Hazel
Woodbridge an experienced donkey driver herself and a well-known BDS judge. The long reining event is to be
held at Duntisbourne Village Hall near Cirencester on 7th `November 2015 is open to all DBS members.
As the report is about to be sent in, we hear that three donkeys, Lily Lane, Alfie Bell and Gentle Bowden took part
in the production of an adaptation of ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ on 4th October at Rodborough Church, near
Stroud. Lily was handled by Angela Scales while Judy Lane was away, but Judy will be back to handle Lily at the
next performance in late October at Watermoor Church in Cirencester. Written and devised by Sue and Andrew
Bowden from the books by Rev Wilbert Awdry, it celebrated his time as the incumbent at this same church.
Magnificent costumes had been made by Jean Fooks and it was filmed by BBC TV, so will appear on our screens
as part of Songs of Praise on 18th October.
The Region is gathering its forces to prepare the ground for the Golden Jubilee of the Association in 2017 which
will be celebrated at the AGM and a Dinner Dance at a lovely hotel, just outside Tewkesbury. The Western Region
hopes to plan something for everyone at a thoroughly happy and enjoyable get-together of members. As the
Society is also involved in the Lord Mayor’s Show the usual mid November date has had to be pushed on into the
year and the weekend runs from Friday 24th or Saturday 25th November 2017, the AGM, Awards, a Reception
and Dinner Dance being held throughout the day on the Saturday.
Regional Delegates have been asked to nominate a representative, to keep their region in touch with the matters
being discussed by the Steering group, Sheila Bell, Judy Lane , Jean Fooks, Eileen Parker, and Sue Farr. Ideas from
all regions welcome !
Suzanne Farr - Regional Delegate
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