Before starting the event and which partly gave me the idea for it, I had a ride in a yellow Ferrari 456GT at Haynes Motor Museum at Sparkford in Somerset and I also knew that Marc Haynes who runs the museum, was at the same school as me, albeit earlier. I knew as well that they had a test track from previous visits. This was the beginning of the ideas for the event…
1999
Eight cars attended the first event then called Ride In A Ferrari and Accelerate the Fight Against Muscular Dystrophy and we raised £180 for the then, Muscular Dystrophy Group charity with Michael Buckland, then South West representative. On the day rides were only given on the test track at Haynes Motor Museum.
2000
15 cars attended and we raised £1110 for the Muscular Dystrophy Group charity again with Michael Buckland and with the help of an event supporter. The event was now Ride In A Ferrari and Help Fight Muscular Dystrophy. Rides on the test track were given again but laps were cut to maximise the number of rides. Rides were also given out onto the A303 dual carriageway as well.
2001
15 cars attended again and we raised £1400 for the then Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, now with Catherine North. This was doubled to an eventual £2,825 thanks to BP and Charities Aid through one of the attending Ferrari owners plus further donations. An eventual £4,115 was raised for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign over three years to put towards, research, equipment and care. This was the only year we experienced any significant rain as well.
2002
A event-record number of 24 cars attended (including a Ferrari F50) and we raised £1500 for the Wessex Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (ASBAH) as a one-off event for them and with their representatives, Libby and Val Poole. I have had Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus since birth and nominated this group by way of paying them back for help they gave and days out they organised when I was younger. The £1500 was doubled to an eventual £3,070, again by BP and Charities Aid through the same Ferrari owner as in the previous year and with further donations. This money was eventually divided up between members of the local ASBAH group netting them around £100 each.
2003
In early 2003 at the Ferrari Owners Club AGM, I was awarded the Prancing Horse Register Pennant for my work to promote the Ferrari Owners Club after completing 2002’s event. This is a small metal lapel badge that was presented to me by then, Club Chairman Jack Sears. Unfortunately, this picture is a little fuzzy.
For Ride In A Ferrari we had a move to Dorset and a new charity. The Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy became the main focus of the event from 2003 onwards. For the first year, we had Rachel Ford attend. The event was now Ride In A Ferrari and Help Fight Spinal Muscular Atrophy. 17 cars attended this year (including a Ferrari F40) and £1700 was raised giving rides out onto the A352 Wareham Road from our new venue at Wyevale Garden Centres, Owermoigne, near Dorchester. Through multiple visits the owner of the F40 would eventual raise around £1,000 by giving rides in his car.
2004
Continuing at Wyevale Garden Centres and with Heather Brown from Jennifer Trust, we raised an eventual £2,600 despite having only 14 cars attend this year but with the presence of the Ferrari F40 again and along with an Aston Martin Vanquish brought by a member of staff from the Autocar motoring magazine, it proved to be an incredibly busy day for all involved. Other cars attending in 2004 ranged from the early V8 308GTB through the 328 and 348 models up to the most recent car attending at the time, which was an F355 GTS. We have also had different “guest” makes of car attend including Porsche, Lotus and Ultima (kit-car) as well as Bentley.
2005
We had 14 cars attend for the 7th annual Ride In A Ferrari event with “guests” being the same Porsche 911 GT3S that had attended before and two Dodge Viper's from London. Ferrari car highlights of the event this year were a number of firsts: it was the first time we had seen examples of the 288GTO, the Enzo and the 550 Maranello. Other anniversary cars that attended were again, the F40 and F50. We had a mix otherwise of Mondial Cabriolet, 308, 328 and 348 models. We raised £3,550 for the Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
2006
The 2006 event raised £2,450 which was split between the JTSMA and Ridgeway Ward at Dorset County Hospital therefore earning them £1,225 each. I nominated Ridgeway Ward after undergoing surgery at Dorset County Hospital in late 2004 to amputate my lower left leg. This was my tribute to the nursing staff that helped me. 19 cars attended - a venue if not event record - including a new Porsche 911 GT2 and a Bentley Continental GT. A special guest appeared in the shape of Actor, Producer and Oscar-winning Screenplay-writer, Julian Fellowes who attended with his wife, Emma. He spoke with Allison Pratt from JTSMA and Carrie Ward of Ridgeway Ward to learn of the work of each organisation, as well as with owners and enthusiasts during his visit. He is pictured sitting in a Ferrari Mondial Cabriolet. Other Ferrari highlights were the new F430 and a return visit by an F50, which did prove almost too popular with customers.
2007
With a change in format and launching a one-time only static car show, Enjoy Ferrari, staged during Ferrari’s own 60th Anniversary year, saw only six Ferrari’s take part, along with eight other guest cars and raise only £900 for the Jennifer Trust. Two Bentley’s, a Jaguar XJS, a Porsche 928, three Mercedes, and a Honda Gold Wing trike made up the other offerings for people to look over. We only offered one “round” of rides during the day, which again proved immensely popular. Following the event, I looked into the possibility of returning to the Ride In A Ferrari format at a new venue, away from Wyevale Garden Centres and eventually found a site next to a McDonalds restaurant/take-away at the Monkey Jump junction just west of Dorchester off the A35 for 2008.
2008
For a re-launch of the all day rides format with Ride In A Ferrari, we made £1500 to be shared between the Jennifer Trust charity and Ridgeway Ward at Dorset County Hospital, once again. We had 18 cars attend not counting the Police presence again and during the day, although they advised drivers on road safety. A first for the event was a visit by not one but two radio stations: 2CR FM from Bournemouth and Wessex FM from nearby Dorchester. The site, next to McDonalds at Monkey Jump, west of Dorchester worked well, with everyone finding the site easily. Thoughts for 2009 turned towards a 10th anniversary and final event with a possible return to Wyevale Garden Centres, being suggested. This year we also had a small static display of the Jaguar XJS, the Porsche 928 and another Ferrari Enzo.
2009
For our final 10th Anniversary event, we did return to Wyevale Garden Centres where the manager said it felt like the first time all over again. We had 16 cars, including Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and 430 Scuderia (current production models) but also “guest” Bentley, Aston Martin and Corvette cars and we raised a great £2,500 to be shared between the Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Ridgeway Ward at Dorset County Hospital. I was rewarded with a glass paperweight and a thank-you card from the JTSMA and later, a Ferrari pocket watch and a card from Ridgeway Ward. Following the cheque presentation at Dorset County Hospital I was interviewed at the in-house hospital radio station, Ridgeway Radio. I was often asked whether anyone would take over and run the event instead of me. There won’t be anyone else to run it but I keep it in mind to run a 15th or 20th Anniversary event in years to come...
Totals
The total amount raised for each charity or “guest beneficiary” is as follows:
£4,115 for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.
£3,070 for the Wessex ASBAH.
£3,225 for the Ridgeway Ward at Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester.
£11,425
for the Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy... making
£21,835
altogether!
Personal Note
Finally, on a personal note, I organised the event because I have a great love for Ferrari cars and love to see them at any opportunity. The “guest” cars were always a bonus too. I also did it in memory of a dear friend I lost to SMA Type II when she was only 15. I know that she liked Ferrari's and would have ridden in every car at every event given the opportunity. You can read about my friend Emma, in the Inspirations section of the JTSMA website.
See also:
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