The Tim Stockdale Foundation has been set up under OCF’s umbrella, in memory of British showjumping star Tim Stockdale, who died in November. Now his family would like to use funds raised to help enable greater participation in sports.
Tim Stockdale was 54 when he died, a month after being diagnosed with cancer. He was an inspirational figure, representing Team GB at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, riding for GB more than 50 times in the Nations Cup, and competing in the World Equestrian Games in 2002 and the European Championships in 2009. He also regularly worked as a BBC equestrian pundit.
After breaking his neck in three places in a fall in 2011, he recovered to compete again at the top level. His memoir “There’s no such word as can’t!” tells the story of his grit and determination, which he later used to mentor others.
Many of his admirers in the showjumping world and in international sport more widely have rallied together to raise funds in his memory, during the Olympia Horse Show in December 2018 and beyond. The funds are being held and managed by Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF), a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (number 1151621) founded in 1995, with many years’ experience in enabling philanthropy and funding charitable causes. Community foundations provide a practical and valuable alternative to setting up a registered charity or charitable foundation.
During November and December, one equestrian clothing and horse equipment retailer, R&R Country, ran a competition to name the impressive wooden horse that stands at the entrance of their Selby store. The company was inundated with hundreds of entries all with the same name, “Stockdale”, so the staff thought this would be the perfect name and a fitting tribute to Tim. R&R Country decided to run another competition to guess the horse’s height, and for every entry received, £1 will be donated to the Tim Stockdale Foundation, with the winner receiving £250 in R&R Country vouchers. The competition ends on 21st February.
Tim’s wife and children are now working with OCF to assess the gifts made in his memory and decide exactly how they will be spent. They would like to be able to continue his inspirational legacy by helping individuals or charities to widen participation in sports, with a focus on emerging young talent.
A memorial service to Tim will be held on Tuesday 5th February.