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A playful hobby-horse race in Great Falls raised more than $15,000 for charitable causes on May 17, topping the event’s 2025 total by more than 20%.
Guests at the Rotary Club of Great Falls’ Lift Me Up Derby Fundraiser arrived in boots, hats and derby attire. They bought and named hobby horses, which advanced through races determined by dice rolls and card draws.
The fundraiser generated $12,000 for Lift Me Up’s equine-assisted therapy and therapeutic riding programs. The remaining $3,000 went toward other charities supported by the Great Falls Rotary Foundation.
Rotarian Sean Plunkett, who founded the event in 2020, saw participation reach a new high. The field included 50% more horses than in any previous year, with prizes awarded for first, second and third place.
Nearly a dozen area businesses donated prizes, including L’Auberge Chez Francois, The Old Brogue and Starbucks.
Plunkett’s wife, Jackie, told Rotary members in a race-day text that the event revived memories for her and that she was pleased the club continued supporting Lift Me Up.
The derby took place inside Lift Me Up’s riding ring, where several live horses wandered in to watch their hobby-horse counterparts compete. Rotarian Cynthia Stinger said one horse even whinnied as a winner crossed the finish line.