The £7500 grant secured by Peak Horsepower from the British Horse Society communities fund is a massive step closer to the Cut Gate target.

But it’s a lot more valuable than just the money.

From the very start when we wrote the Cut Gate thing, me, Peak District MTB and Ride Sheffield have seen the Cut Gate project as an opportunity to build the relationship between user groups; mountain bikers, horse riders, climbers and walkers. There has been friction between many of these groups in the past. The only way we are going to improve access and change minds is by getting behind something like Cut Gate and realising that really, the reason we go out into the Peak District is pretty similar across the various groups.

The dialogue and cross-group support for the project shows that we can work together.

Anyway, enough of that worthy nonsense. The money raised by the horse riders is fantastic and very, very welcome.

We’re now only a few thousand pounds away from hitting the target and being able to get started on the work up on Cut Gate. At the recent Peak District MTB AGM, Moors for the Future called for riders to share their thoughts on favoured trails, popular repairs and examples of good work. Personally Roych Clough, Foulstone Road and parts of Cutthroat Bridge spring to mind. You might have other examples. If you do, please email them to kotp@live.co.uk. Any other feedback you might have about repairs is welcome too.

Nearly there folks. And thanks Peak Horsepower and the BHS.

KoftheP