A 70-year-old horse rider has used a milestone birthday to raise money and commemorate a hero.

Tony Westlake turned 70 on Wednesday last week and decided to raise money for St Mary’s Church in West Charle­ton, while paying tribute to one of his inspirations: General Jack Seely.

General Seely, after a distinguished career in the yeomanry and government, rode his horse Warrior out on his 70th birthday when the horse himself was 30. Warrior was known as ‘the horse the Germans couldn’t kill’ and was painted by First World War artist Alfred Munnings.

So Tony, who lives in West Charleton, decided to undertake an 11-mile trek around the vale of Widecombe on a grey gelding called Saxon, who could boast no such war time heroics, but carried Tony handsomely across the moor with ease.

Family and friends waited for him near Southcombe, looking north towards Hamel Down.

Clive Bignell, a friend of Tony’s, said: ‘For a while our small group could see no one but gradually, far off, emerging from a fold in the hills, we saw five tiny riders astride their charges, thundering – well, trotting – towards us.

‘I was put in mind of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid, as lawman Joe Lefors and the Indian tracker Lord Baltimore pursued Newman and Redford across the wide open spaces, Newman would look back, squint those blue eyes and say “who are those guys?”.

‘We didn’t need to ask that question, we knew at the head of the posse as it gained on our position was Tony Westlake, aboard Saxon.

‘Deputised alongside were his daughter Ruth, West Charleton friend Mary Brown and two acquaintances from the Shilstone Rocks Stud.

‘Having passed our small group of family and friends, the posse dropped down into Widecombe to dismount and untack the horses at Shilstone Rocks.

‘Then riders and friends reunited, retired to the Ruggle­stone Arms for a lunchtime pint and food, which our septuagenarian horseman insisted on paying for. All hail the Westlake!’

For those who remember West Charleton’s small village shop, Tony and Anna Westlake were the proprietors and have long been stalwarts of local village life. From running the village shop, to planting hedges, to heavy involvement in St Mary’s Church, they are the sort of couple every village needs.

It is the church of West Charleton that benefits from much of their efforts now, from keeping down the ivy to fundraising for and arranging various repairs to the church roof, which takes every opportunity to let in water.

Tony’s ride has so far raised almost £800, but anyone wishing to swell this fund even further can contact Tony by email at anthony.westlake297@

btinternet.com or call: 01548 531562.