Local Girl, Local Cause: Nellie Tuddenham Rides for the Petstock Foundation in Tour d’Horse 2025
Riding for Purpose and Her Sister Bella
Ballarat’s own Nellie Tuddenham, 12, is saddling up for the 2025 Tour d’Horse, proudly riding for the Petstock Foundation to support children and families impacted by disease, trauma and injures through the KIDS Foundation.
Nellie’s connection to the cause runs deep. She’s riding in honour of her baby sister Bella, who sadly passed away in 2021. “After Bella’s funeral, I asked my mum and nan to go horse riding with me,” said Nellie. “That day the horses brought us so much happiness. From that, Nan - who’s also the CEO of the KIDS Foundation - introduced equine therapy into the Foundation’s programs. That led to this ride.”
Tour d’Horse is a six-day, race at walking pace, endurance ride through the Hunter Valley’s toughest terrain, all to raise $1 million to support KIDS Foundation’s life-changing education and recovery programs. Nellie is aiming to personally raise $50,000 and is already closing in on her goal, having raised over $34,000 to date.
A rising Showjumper and Equestrian star, Nellie recently claimed the Intermediate 80cm Champion title at Petstock Interschools and placed third in the 90cm event. She’s a Year 7 student at Ballarat Grammar, the middle child of five, and shares her love of horses with her pug, Jimmy, who’s never far from the stables.
“Tour d’Horse is more than a ride - I’m doing this for Bella, and for every kid the KIDS Foundation helps,” said Nellie.
Tour d’Horse 2025 runs from May 11–18 and brings together 21 teams from across the racing, equine, and media industries — including heavyweights like Magic Millions, Coolmore, Godolphin, Bennett Racing, and Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott — all riding retired racehorses retrained for the event by Anto White OAM at his property Belltrees.
We are honoured to have the support of such a wonderful organisation, Petstock, as a major sponsor. The Petstock Foundation's deep connection with both people and the equine community makes them a perfect partner for Tour d'Horse and the KIDS Foundation. Their dedication to empowering a better future and continued support across our programs reflects the shared commitment to making an impact in the community.