ALTHOUGH they have almost reached their target of €55,000 through a Go Fund Me page (https://gofund.me/cbd0fa75), the organisers of tomorrow’s show at Wexford Equestrian are hoping to increase the pot further in their quest to provide Dendritic Cell Therapy for Dawn Ward.

Dawn is well known through her work with the Killinick Branch of the Irish Pony Club, particularly its musical ride participants, and as a long-standing receptionist at Wexford Equestrian where her husband Dara and children help out on show days. Dawn’s daughter Naoise, who was on the youth dressage high-performance squad, is now competing in Britain where she is groom to Irish international rider Dane Rawlins, the dual Dressage Ireland national champion.

In 2016, Dawn’s world was rocked when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Initially, she responded well to treatment which included surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. However, in 2021 her cancer sadly returned and she has since found out that she has Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma cancer, which is an extremely rare malignant tumour type cancer.

The mission of her extended family now is to provide Dawn with Dendritic Cell Therapy which will target the tumours directly with her immune system. This ground-breaking treatment has previously seen success in extending life expectancies in cancer patients and you can read all about it on the Go Fund Me page.

Tomorrow’s Jump For Dawn show will offer 10 classes from cross-poles to a 1.30m two-phase competition while Hannah Wood is providing a Clip For Dawn service (which had to be pre-booked) and there will be a Bring & Buy Sale of equestrian goods.