Lady Godiva Rides

Like the legend of Lady Godiva – whose husband founded a monastery in Much Wenlock – Grace Oakley will take to the streets riding her horse Indigo Sugar Babe, known as Ug, wearing little more than a smile.
The 29-year-old horse riding instructor from near Bridgnorth will not be protesting rising taxes, however, but instead fundraising for PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, a charity close to her heart.
Having lost her mother Kate at the age of 12 in 2004, Grace said it was important to raise as much money and awareness as possible, particularly considering the additional pressures on mental health due to the pandemic.

Grace saddles up for a Lady Godiva style trip through Ludlow for charity 

1. 
   Lady Godiva earned a place in history vastly more prominent than that of her husband Leofric, an 11th-century Earl of Mercia in central England. As the story is usually told, Godiva felt compassion for the people of Coventry suffering from her spouse’s exorbitant taxation. Her pleas to him to reduce that burden were without avail, but he agreed to some reduction provided she would ride a horse completely naked through town. If the story’s accurate, he probably was astonished when she took him up on the offer.

   Other accounts of Oakley’s ride:

   • Ludlow woman to ride naked through the town to back charity tackling suicide 
   • Shropshire mum’s Lady Godiva ride raises money for charity 
   • Ludlow’s Lady Godiva smashes fundraising target in memory of her mom