Alabama Rot fundraiser postponed owing to forecast heatwave
A charity whippet racing event in Lambourn will now be held in September after Sunday’s date was postponed owing to the impending heatwave.


Alabama Rot fundraiser postponed owing to forecast heatwave
A charity whippet racing event in Lambourn will now be held in September after Sunday’s date was postponed owing to the impending heatwave.
The Valley of the Racehorse was preparing to swap the familiar sound of hooves for paws in aid of the Alabama Rot Research Fund to remember Willow the whippet who died of the rare disease in March 2024.
But forecast temperatures of 29c have prompted this year’s event at Lambourn Sports Club to be pushed back to Sunday, September 14.
The dog and family-friendly event will feature seven live races on a purpose built track on the club’s football field. There’ll also be an after-party with music from a traditional Irish band, plus family lawn games, a silent auction, raffle, local food and drink outlets and kids’ entertainment.
Willow’s owner and event organiser Shaun Reynolds hopes to see as many people at the rescheduled date as possible.
“A Celebration of Willow is a genuinely brilliant event remembering a whippet who meant an awful lot to me while raising funds to find a cure for the disease that took her,” said Shaun.
“There is no way we could run Sunday’s event with the forecast temperatures, so we’ve taken the early decision to postpone mindful that many were travelling from far to attend.
“Everyone connected to Sunday has committed to the rescheduled date, which I’m already looking forward to.”
Willow’s story has raised more than £15,000 for the Alabama Rot Research Fund and enabled the charity to ramp up its work with the University of Surrey who are working to understand more about the disease.
It is not known what causes Alabama Rot, there is no cure, and 90 per cent of dogs infected lose their life. In the UK, there have been just 330 confirmed cases.
Shaun added: “Although Alabama Rot is incredibly rare, Lambourn is responsible for more than one per cent of confirmed cases.
“That’s a crazy figure for such a rare disease. It’s a seasonal disease, with almost all cases identified between October and May. Right now, we believe the disease is linked to dogs walked in wet, muddy, woodland areas – so the advice is to wash your dogs paws clean after a muddy walk".
“I knew all about Alabama Rot before Willow was infected and followed the precautions. So while we know it doesn’t guarantee preventing infection, it might just save a life.”
Since Willow’s death, no Alabama Rot cases have been identified within a 25-mile radius of Lambourn. It’s the first time no cases have been detected locally since the disease was first recorded in the UK.
Anyone wishing to support Shaun’s fundraising efforts can donate via his fundraising page by clicking here or visiting https://www.gofundme.com/9my6e-alabama-rot-research-fund.