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Charity horse Burrow Seven retired from racing following injury

Burrow Seven, who has helped raise more than £100,000 for charity, has been retired from racing after suffering a repetitive injury to his front left leg.

The Jedd O'Keeffe-trained grey carried the colours of the Burrow Seven Racing Club, which was launched two years ago as an innovative fundraising concept to raise money in response to former rugby league star Rob Burrow's Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis.

Despite only making it to the racecourse four times, Burrow Seven raised significant funds for those affected by MND and Leeds Hospital Charities through membership sales to his racing club.

While his racing days are now over due to a tendon injury, Burrow Seven will continue his good work by becoming an equine welfare and therapy horse.

Just last month it was announced that the five-year-old was to become part of newly-launched The Good Racing Company, which aims to expand the same charity horse concept and have eight different horses raising money for eight different charitable causes within a year.

The Good Racing Company have already acquired a replacement horse to fundraise and race for Burrow, who has been named Beep Beep Burrow in honour of his Road Runner-inspired nickname at Leeds Rhinos Rugby Club.

Burrow said: "My family and I were really saddened to hear the news of Burrow Seven's injury, but the main thing is that he'll continue to have a long and fulfilling life.

"We all have a close bond with Burrow Seven and we'll continue to still visit him. We're all looking forward to meeting Beep Beep Burrow soon. Let's hope he lives up to his name!"

All Burrow Seven Racing Club members will immediately have their memberships transferred to Beep Beep Burrow, who is due to make his racecourse debut for the O'Keeffe team this month.

O'Keeffe said: "Burrow Seven held much promise, so it's really sad to see him retire early. His injury was the kind of unavoidable and unfortunate event that we occasionally see in racehorses that exercise at speed.

"His gentle nature will really suit his second career as an equine welfare horse, and I'm delighted that he'll have an indefinite role with The Good Racing Co. Beep Beep Burrow is an exciting five-year-old and I'm looking forward to training him over the coming season."

New annual memberships to follow Beep Beep Burrow are on sale at £60. For that price members receive a luxury welcome pack with a metal annual member's badge and a lapel pin badge to wear with pride at racecourses, a photo of Beep Beep Burrow, a car sticker and membership certificate.

All money raised by Beep Beep Burrow will be split between the MND Association to support vital research and Leeds Hospitals Charity's Appeal to build the Rob Burrow centre for MND.


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