Dream comes true for bride Gemma Wood as she rides to wedding reception on horseback

Ever since she was a little girl, Gemma Wood dreamed of arriving for her wedding on horseback.

Even after deciding to get married at a register office, she still wanted to ride to her wedding reception.

But she faced one big problem – she didn’t have a horse.

And she also feared she wouldn’t find one which would be able to cope with the excitement of turning up to a busy reception.

But a Huddersfield group has ridden to the rescue after hearing of Gemma’s plight, and has given her a day to remember.

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Gemma, 35, married Jon Rollinson, a 37-year-old business intelligence developer, at Sheffield Register Office and wanted to arrive at the reception at the Woodhead Barn, atHepworth, on horseback.

"We needed a bombproof horse who would be able to cope with everything. Many horses could have easily been spooked," said Gemma, a volunteer with the Children’s Society.

She asked around, and was put in touch with Heidi Dawson, the CEO of a not for profit organisation in Huddersfield called Glint, which runs ‘horse assisted development’ programmes which use horses to engage people in activities that increase their social skills and build emotional strength while having fun.

Heidi met Gemma at the venue and was more than happy to help. She has a horse called Billy, a Welsh Cob with the perfect temperament.

"It got quite emotional," said Gemma. "I explained she was making my dream come true. So many people dream of arriving at their wedding on their horse but I don’t own one and it’s only very special horses that are suited to such a challenge."

Heidi turned up on the big day to make sure all went well, and Gemma was able to make her dream come true by riding Billy to the reception.

"When I first met her, Heidi was a complete stranger, but she was so wonderful, and even happy to lend me her horse. Now she is like my fairy godmother."

Heidi spent weeks training Billy, by using a large, flapping white sheet to imitate a wedding dress.

She said: "It is not normally something we do, but it was a very interesting experience and we were able to link the training we did with Billy with the work we do helping people with things they are scared of or not comfortable with.

"We were very pleased to be able to help."

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