Sometimes you hear about a story that makes you stop and think. That happened when I came across the tale of former stable lad Paul “Barney” Bamford.

In 2006 he was riding out, something he had done thousands of times during his career. His horse tripped and he fell off: again, the sort of accident that happens dozens of times a week at training yards up and down the country.

Normally Barney would have dusted himself down and climbed back on his trusty steed. But he didn’t get up. In fact, he couldn’t move. Barney had suffered a devastating injury: a broken back.

In the last six years Barney has relied heavily on the fabulous Racing Welfare charity and this week he is aiming to repay a huge debt of gratitude.

Today, at Redcar races, he kicks off Barney’s Challenge, a 110-mile ride on his “handbike” from Redcar to Doncaster over the next six days. He will stop off at Malton and York’s Dante meeting on the way.

The monumental effort was inspired by Barney’s desire to say thank you for all the help he has received from Racing Welfare. He deserves the support of anybody with a love or interest in racing.

To donate just text BARN47 £1 to 70070 or go to

http://www.justgiving.com/barneyschallenge

Good luck Barney!