Rob Burrow is to embark on a new fundraising effort when a racehorse named after him makes his debut at Doncaster next Tuesday in front of the former rugby league star and his family.
Beep Beep Burrow, which was also Burrow’s nickname when he played for Leeds Rhinos, is a five-year-old chestnut gelding with four white socks.
He will become the new figurehead of the campaign to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, replacing Burrow Seven who has been retired due to injury after four races. Burrow, 40, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019, two years after retiring from rugby league.
Since then he has proved to be an inspiration to many in his battle against the disease, with his best friend Kevin Sinfield doing his own bit to raise millions of pounds through his own fundraising efforts.
Burrow said: “Beep Beep Burrow is such an exciting horse and we’re all hoping he lives up to his name.
"We’re very much looking forward to his debut in Doncaster where he’ll get his chance to show people just what he can do on the racecourse.”
Trained in Middleham, Yorkshire by Jedd O’Keeffe, Beep Beep Burrow is entered in the Sky Bet ‘Good Luck Beep Beep Burrow National Hunt Flat Race’ (3.30) at Doncaster.
Burrow, who was awarded an MBE in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List, received another accolade before Christmas when he won the Helen Rollasan Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony.