One of the first things you noticed about Rob Burrow in his playing days was his height. As a widely acclaimed player in a sport packed with towering hulks, he achieved the stature of a giant - yet he is only 5ft 5ins (165cms) tall.
Burrow was known as ‘the smallest player in the Super League’ - the top Rugby League club competition in the Northern Hemisphere - but he became a colossus on the pitch, taking starring international roles for England and Great Britain and establishing himself as a central figure in the success of Leeds Rhinos, winners of eight of the last 16 titles.
He retired on a high in 2017 after Leeds triumphed in the Super League Grand Final.
But today the scrum-half who ran rings round opponents in one of the toughest, most physical sports on the planet, is wheelchair-bound, unable to walk, struggling to breathe normally and in severe pain. Rob Burrow, now just 38, was diagnosed with the degenerative condition Motor Neurone Disease (MND, known as ALS in North America) last December.
One small ray of sunshine that has just emerged for him is horseracing, specifically a 3-year-old grey gelding named Burrow Seven, who has been put into training and is due to make his debut early in the New Year in a fundraising initiative in aid of the MND Association.
An ownership vehicle, the Burrow Seven Racing Club, has been set up, and members of the public are being invited to join it - sharing in Burrow Seven’s racing career for the next year - for just £59.
And, as you can see from the picture at the top of this article, Burrow and the horse named after him came face to face for the first time recently at trainer Jedd O’Keeffe’s stables in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. Burrow was accompanied by his parents, Irene and Geoff, and close friend Barrie McDermott, himself a former Rugby League star, who is now an ambassador for the fundraising campaign.
Burrow says, “I’m a bit overwhelmed. I’ve been excited about this fundraising campaign for some time, but meeting this magnificent racehorse was something else.
“I’m really honoured to have him named after me, and I can’t wait to see him in his first race. Thank you to everyone who supports the MND Association by taking part. Research is the key to cure this disease. Together we can do it.”
Father Geoff says, “Meeting this special horse meant so much to Rob. His late grandad, Bobby Bateman, loved horses and used to spend hours reading the form books before having a flutter. If Bobby knew that Rob had a Thoroughbred named after him, he would be over the moon!”
All profits from membership sales of the Racing Club will go to the MND Association and contribute to a number of research projects aiming to find a cure for motor neurone disease.
McDermott says, “It’s hard to come up with ideas for fundraising events in an era of Covid, but we think we’ve hit upon something original, inclusive and exciting with Burrow Seven.”
Thanks to advances in technology, increased collaboration and funding from supporters, real progress is being made in the quest to find a cure for MND.
The Burrow Seven campaign was the brainchild of Racing4Business founder Phil Hawthorne, who says, “The idea for this fundraising campaign was borne by my love of rugby league and passion for horseracing. Like so many, I have been really inspired by Rob’s battle with MND and I wanted to devise a Covid-friendly way to honour Rob’s legacy on the pitch and his heroism in his battle with MND.”
Burrow Seven, a son of Kayf Tara, was initially pre-trained in Lambourn in Southern England by the renowned former jumps trainer Henrietta Knight, who sent out over 700 winners, including Best Mate, who won three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups (2002-04).
Knight says, “Burrow Seven is a special young horse. He is a natural jumper. He comes from a very good pedigree, I think he has a huge amount of potential. He’s definitely a horse I like.”
Members of the Burrow Seven Racing Club will be given the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win tickets to watch Burrow Seven on racedays or visit him at his training yard. Any prize money will go to the charity.
Jenn Dodd, Regional Fundraiser for MND Association in Yorkshire, Humberside and the North East said, “We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received inspired by Rob Burrow, and to see initiatives like this now kicking off to continue that support is just incredible.
“The funds raised will make a real difference to the MND Association and to the 5,000 people across the country who, like Rob, are living with MND. We’re so grateful and wish everyone well as they embark on this exciting venture.”
Visit www.burrowseven.com for information about joining the club.