Friday night fundraiser brings Bovey Tracey together

Friday evenings at The Dolphin Hotel in Bovey Tracey have become a little livelier – and they are raising money for Dartmoor’s heritage ponies at the same time.

Tickets for the pub’s weekly meat draw go on sale at 5pm, before Paul takes to the floor to call the draw at 6.30pm. There is now a regular Friday crowd, plenty of atmosphere and, so far, £332.50 has been raised for the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust.

The meat draw had long been part of Friday nights at The Dolphin, but stopped when the pub closed for several months. When it reopened and the new owners did not have enough staff to run it, Jonny and his wife decided to step in.

“We didn’t really know where it was going at first,” said Jonny, who began by buying the meat himself. “After a couple of weeks, we had a surplus and, together with Francesca, the licensee of The Dolphin, we decided it should go to the Dartmoor ponies.”

The prizes are supplied by Cox & Laflin at Ullacombe Farm, and Jonny is now looking at making tickets available behind the bar throughout the week. He is even happy to deliver prizes to local winners who cannot be there on the night.

For Jonny, supporting the Trust was a natural choice: “Bovey Tracey is the gateway to Dartmoor, and Dartmoor ponies are at the heart of Dartmoor.”

The aim now is to raise more than £500 for a Christmas donation. Every ticket bought will help the Trust support the breeders and keepers of heritage Dartmoor ponies and continue its work to secure their future.

The draw takes place every Friday at The Dolphin Hotel. Tickets are available from 5pm, with the draw at 6.30pm.

Dolphin Inn, Bovey Tracey thedolphinbovey.co.uk

Cox & Laflin, Ullacombe Farm, Bovey Tracey coxandlaflinbutchers.co.uk