Update on 2007 Donkey Derby

There will be no Donkey Derby in Sandhurst in 2007. The 41^st , which we had been hoping to run this year, will now take place in 2008.

It isn’t for want of trying. Our usual date – the late May bank holiday – was called off by Sandhurst Council when a field inspection revealed that the field that we use for the Car Park was too soft to allow vehicle movements. Our fall-back date – the 24^th of June – suffered the same fate. The good news is that those decisions prevented us from running the Derby on days that turned out to be both cold and wet which would have kept attendance figures low.

To run a successful Sandhurst Donkey Derby we need three things:

• availability of the Bull & Butcher field and the adjacent field which we use for Car Parking
• Donkeys
• a fun fair

Given sufficient lead time, it isn’t difficult to make sure that all 3 are available on a particular date. Starting from late June, and attempting to organise a Derby before the end of August (the last point at which the field is available), it is almost impossible. The field was available on only two week ends – the 1st of July (no better in terms of weather) and the August Bank holiday. Unfortunately we can’t get both the donkeys and the funfair on the same days over the August Bank holiday week-end.

We regret that we have to postpone until next year, but there doesn’t seem to be a sensible alternative. We know that we aren’t the only event to have been hit by poor weather, but it means that our profile in the community has been damaged and we will almost certainly have to work harder next year to make the next Donkey Derby a success.