Awardee Focus – Grace Cheal
Grace Cheal received her BBM Youth Support Award for Agriculture in 2012/13 and made the most of it. We have included snippets from Grace’s report below, to read the full report Click Here.
“I was so excited to find out I had the opportunity to travel to the UK through the generous support of the BBM Youth Support in 2013. I spent seven months in the Uk working with horses and pursuing my interest in Agriculture. I arrived in Manchester on the 5th of April. I then travelled by train and car to the small village of Tebay, situated amidst Cumbria’s rolling hills and valleys in northern England. Close to Tebay, I worked on an Icelandic Horse Stud. Here I gained valuable experience and was able to improve my riding and horsemanship while learning the run of rural life in the UK.”
“The 6 months at the stud had its challenges, but it was amazing to work with these special horses and learn from such committed people who love and excel at what they do.
I had the opportunity to have lessons with a number of skilled trainers and improved my riding. In particular they encouraged me to be confident in myself. It was also good to get feedback from various sources. Not all the training agreed with each other, but I found you pick up tips and useful techniques from all different sources. Sometimes its just trial and error! Have an open mind, give it a go, see what works, try again and never give up!”
“I also visited Scotland and Wales. In Wales I saw runners from around the world gather for the famous race up Mount Snowdon. During these two weeks I got to watch the Blenheim Horse Trials. It was exciting to see these world class riders and their horses in action. I really got to experience the different culture and discover some of the beautiful countryside in the two weeks I travelled.”
“I am extremely grateful to the Big Brother Movement for making all this possible and for their support the whole time. It has been an amazing experience that I will never forget and which continues to inspire.”