[DancingQueen]

Just thought I'd share with you how cool the eventing/horse scene is in Sweden and how Facebook is about to change the world for Sara Algotson-Ostholt.

Sara won the silver medal at the Olympics this year. She took the first medal for Sweden and overnight became Silver-Sara with the entire population.

She has another horse in training, Mrs Medicott, that she believes could be her next olympic horse. The owners wants to sell and Sara has been struggling to get the money, about €100K, together for a while. She was presented with a deadline, buy the horse by Monday or it goes to a salesbarn.

As of yesterday she had only about half of money secured and things were not looking good.

You know how sometimes you think, ok it's a lot of money but if enough people contributed just a little bit... if 5000 people put up just 10 euros each...

Well thanks to facebook and a crafty supporter 5000 people are putting up 10 euros (and some a little bit more).

A supporter decided to start the facebook page "save Mrs Medicott for Sara". At some point this afternoon a bankaccount was opened, the bank was alerted to what was going on and put on high alert for possibly recieving a lot of money to that account.

Within a couple of hours at least a quarter of the "missing money" was raised. Many contributing 10 or 15 euros, a few throwing in 150 or even 500 euros.

At this point it's looking like Sweden might be able to spring the horse, but in the unlikely event that not enough money is raised it has been decided that instead of a pay-back the donations will go to the junior and young rider event teams of Sweden.


Again, this is happening right now and I think this just might be one of those amazing unbelieveble strories of people coming together so I wanted to share it with you all!

[LucyShow]

It could be that amazing story!

Right now 10.969 members...

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=372506

[poltroon]

Awesome!

[phoebetrainer]

What a fantastic way for lots of people to feel involved - and then to follow the sport.

[FoxChaser]

Well, that made me teary this morning! Go Sara and go Sweeden!!!

[deltawave]

I'm out of the loop--any relation to Mr. Medicott?

[DancingQueen]

Yeah, it's his wife... :-D

I'm not sure what the connection is, same owners possibly? I know that Mrs Medicott is owned by Americans but that's the extent of my intel.

[DancingQueen]

Oh and a little update on the developments;

in just over 24 hours about an eight of the money needed is already in the bank. It is presumed that a lot more money is on the way as many banks hold on to transfers for a day or two. The story has been told first in some local newspapers and some local radiostations but this afternoon national media started to catch on with radio and tv interviews.

The deadline for Sara to come up with the money is Monday as mentioned and that loks a bit tough right now but the event/horse community over here is doing it's best!

[bornfreenowexpensive]

fingers crossed they are able to pull it off! That is a lovely mare and she has done a great job with her.

There is no relation between Mr. Medicott and Mrs. Medicott.

Mrs. Medicott had done very well in a lot of the young horse competitions on her way up the levels. She is a Hanovarian (Rabino/Prince Thatchxx).

[JP60]

The deadline for Sara to come up with the money is Monday as mentioned and that loks a bit tough right now but the event/horse community over here is doing it's best!

I wonder if anyone has approached the owners to ask if they can possibly delay until there is confirmation of all deposits. It would be pretty frosty if they sell the horse and just two days later all the money was available. The outpouring says a lot for how much the Swedish people truly support their own and my heart goes out to the rider.

[Justa Bob]

For FB this is the page name and link:

"Rädda Mrs Medicott åt Sara Algotsson Ostholt"

https://www.facebook.com/groups/297479080360753/

The group now has 18,328 members

Go Sara! Go Swedish eventing!

[DancingQueen]

I'm almost certain that the owners are being kept updated on the progress. This has all happened very fast and since it's the beginning of the weekend nobody really knows how much money has been collected until Monday or Tuesday.

The original deadline would be for Sara to buy the horse, or it would be moved to a sales barn.

I'm sure it's possible that somebody is lurking around the corner just waiting to snatch the horse up, but I think it's much more likely it would be just fine to write the big check next Friday and go over there and get the horse back.

Best case scenario would of course be that enough money has been secured by Monday that the horse will just be allowed to stay with Sara until the payment logistics have been sorted out. :-)

[retreadeventer]

I just joined and here is the latest post and translation:
My friends-just over 17,000 members and $ 107.000 already, but there is much more, because some banks keep the money until the next business day, Monday. Monday-Thursday, we know more; my phone is hot. Turned on an hour and had ten missed calls. Ridsportmedia and mainstream media has woken up. Was interviewed four times today.

[DancingQueen]

Sek 107,000 = about $16,000 of about $130,000 needed.

Doesn't seem like much, but the money has been raised in just over a day and a half with many contributions of $10-15.

[Fred]

What a great story!

[LucyShow]

Right now almost 23000 members and when the bank closed today another 60.000 added so more than 125000 SEK (19000 USD) all together almost 10.000 USD per day!

[LucyShow]

I'm out of the loop--any relation to Mr. Medicott?

I believe that Hr Gerd-Hermann Horst is the owner of Mrs Medicott and the ex-owner of Mr Medicott who was sold to Karen O´Connor.

The group now has almost 29000 members! We´re waiting for news of the funds on monday afternoon when the banks has done their job :-)

[DancingQueen]

I'm sure this is not exactly public interest over in the US with Sandy coming in and what not but I thought I'd post an update anyways :-)

I think it's a very inspirational story both of what many can accomplish together and of eventing/horse people sticking together and helping one of their own. The whole country was excited to see Sara win a silver medal in the Olympics this summer and here's a bunch of people finding a chance to say thank you in a bit more hands-on way!


About $25,000 had trickled in over the weekend but since a lot of transfers wouldn't show until Monday after lunch we were all eagerly awaiting the latest update on the account.
I'm guessing I wasn't the only one slightly disappointed when the update came just after 1pm swedish time... $28,000. Not so bad but still far from what we had hoped.

However, when the account was checked again 3 and a half hours later the sum had rissen to over $43,000 with still more trickling in. The bank was simply not (despite being notified) able to keep up with the donations. Many of them for $10-20

This might very well be on the way to some new record in crowdfunding and although we are still about $80,000 short we are much closer then we were before the weekend. Hopes are of course that this action will also attract some bigger sponsors.

[LucyShow]

It actually went all the way and Mrs Medicott is the property of Sara Algotsson-Ostholt and sponsors!


100.000 EUR trickled into the account in 10 days, most of it in 10 Euro deposits.

The first horse bought from crowdfunding thru Facebook!

[Napoles]

Wow!! Just wow!! That is absolutely amazing.