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Fast food finished first once again this weekend when the Wokon Noodle Box, from Leeds won the Mascot Gold Cup for the second time. Fifty one cuddly characters assembled for this event sponsored by Foresters at Wetherby Races on Sunday. The race was, as always a huge hit with the race day crowd and raised approximately £15,000 for charity with the lions share going to National Healthcare charity, Sue Ryder Care who co-organise the event with Yorkshire Young Farmers.
The giant noodle box won the event in 2008 and after a disappointing third place in last year’s race, outclassed the field this time out beating Hound Dog from Bingley Harriers into second and the Whitaker’s Animal Feeds Spud into third. Worth Valley Young Farmers’ Brigadon the Traitor Dog’ managed to avoid fallers ‘Yorkshire Tea Biscuit’ and ‘Amy Winehorse’ to be placed fourth. Prizes were presented by Carol Smith from Foresters, Cat Horn of Yorkshire Young Farmers and Grand National Winning Jockey Bob Champion MBE.
A large number of mascots from professional sports teams participated with Ozzy Owl of Sheffield Wednesday (5th) just pipping Ronnie Rhino of Leeds Rhinos to the prize for the ‘First Professional mascot home’. This footage also shows last home was Sergeant Sausage who fell at the fences sponsored by Sovereign Healthcare, Skipton Building Society, Bradford Market Services and Securi – Care.
Prior to the race, a Mascot Parade had been held where a panel of judges had elected ‘Zack the Zebra’ of the road safety charity BRAKE the ‘Best Mascot in Parade’ with ‘Vinnie the Vole’ of British Waterways placed second.
The best Mascot made on the chosen race theme of ‘Local Produce, local markets’ as sponsored by the National Market Traders Federation was ‘Ronnie Rhubarb’ created and worn by Dave Johnson of Worth Valley Young Farmers Club who also took the prize for best recycled mascot. Second prize went to Tadcaster and Wetherby YFC’s Natalie Moore as ‘The Winemaker’.
Prizes were also presented for the mascots that had raised most money for the event’s main charity, Sue Ryder Care. One of these was awarded for the third year running to Stuart Cracknell (‘Pippin the Copper Dragon’) of Skipton who had again raised over £700. Spencer Nolan (‘Darth Vader’) also raised a similar amount. Both were thanked by Sue Ryder Care Fundraiser Andrew Wood who explained how he was delighted with the amount raised. “Mascots have now raised over £75,000 in the five years that the race has been run and we are very lucky that the majority of this has come to Sue Ryder Care to help us to fund our crucial work in hospices and neurological care centres throughout the country. We need to raise over £4 million each year just to provide our services in Yorkshire alone so events such as this which raise funds and our profile are very important to us. A huge thank you is due to the team at Wetherby Racecourse and Conference Centre, all the mascots, our sponsors and everyone who volunteers their time for this event.”
Hundreds of photographs of the day can be viewed at the Mascot Gold Cup facebook page.
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