THE Princess Royal paid tribute to a volunteer from Downley during her visit to a horse charity in Speen yesterday.

Princess Anne, patron of The Horse Trust, visited the organisation’s Home of Rest for Horses to take part in a fundraising seminar.

During the event she presented a voluntary service award to Pat Audley and her late husband Harry, who died in May, for ten years of work for the charity.

Since her husband passed away Mrs Audley has continued volunteering every weekend and during school holidays.

The Princess Royal presented her with a horseshoe from Janus, who had been Harry’s favourite horse. Janus, an ex-Household Cavalry drum horse died last month.

The seminar itself aimed to raise the profile of the charity’s research programme to an audience of donors, charitable trusts and companies working in the equine sector.

The Horse Trust also funds non-invasive research into equine diseases and provides grants to equine hospitals. But although the Trust is continuing to fund 16 research and 15 educational grants made in earlier years, a reduction in income caused by the recession has caused its grant programme to be suspended.

The goal of yesterday’s event was to address this funding shortfall. During the event, a number of scientists who received funding from The Horse Trust gave presentations on their work.

The Horse Trust needs to raise £250,000 to let it restart its research programme.

For more information or to donate to the charity, go to www.horsetrust.org.uk