The North's first Festival of Horses succeeded in drawing in the crowds despite dark clouds and frequent downpours and raising £215 for Josh's ECMO Ambulance appeal.

Almost a thousand people flocked to the weekend celebration of the horse at Ilton, near Masham, in June, to see horse whisperer Sarah Kreutzer's demonstrations of natural horsemanship and the acrobatic thrills of stunt rider Guido Louis.

'It was a wonderful event and I was pleased to see so many families,' said Sarah. 'There was something for everyone - no matter what their age.

'We were delighted to help boost funds for Josh's appeal with our balloon race - I'm only sorry that we couldn't have raised more. I hope that we will top this next year! Hopefully, blue skies and warm sunshine will get people taking part in things instead of having to spend their time sheltering from the rain!'