She lived for her children, had a passion for riding and was labelled as having a beautiful soul.
To most, Belinda Gray was a kind and caring mother-of-three, but to her friend Kirsty Hellmech, her heart was “as big as Queensland”.
Mrs Gray was recently killed after being thrown from her horse, Diesel, when he was spooked by a car at Bahrs Scrub.
Now friends and family, as well as the equine community, are preparing to ride together in memory of Mrs Gray.
They are pushing to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding around, and spooking, horses.
The event, Ride for Belinda, will be held on December 18.
“Belinda’s husband, Davin, will be leading the ride, walking Belinda’s horse with their daughter on his back,” Ms Hellmech said.
“We’re not sure where we’ll be riding from yet, but we’ll be starting at 7.15am.
“That was the time Belinda and her daughter, Amber, left for their ride on Sunday, before the incident occurred.”
Ms Hellmech pleaded with the community to slow down while driving around horses and said spreading awareness of the dangers of a spooked animal was vital.
“I’ve been riding horses most of my life and I now don’t go anywhere without my go-pro and helmet on,” she said.
“Cars are always driving too fast, and there have been occasions where motorists have screamed at the horse I’m on and thrown things at her.
“She doesn’t care, thankfully, but what happens if it happened to a horse that did?”
Ms Hellmech encouraged anyone who would like to join the Ride for Belinda event on December 18 – whether they have a horse or not – to look on Facebook for a start time and venue, which will be posted soon.
The ride will be followed by a sausage sizzle and a moment of silence for Mrs Gray.
“She really was a beautiful person,” Ms Hellmech said.
“Everything she did, she did with passion, and she truly lived her life for her kids.”
Ms Hellmech said a GoFundMe page has also been set up to raise money for the Gray family – now relying on one income instead of two.
To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/support-belinda-grays-3-children.
For more information on the Ride for Belinda event, visit www.facebook.com/RideForBelinda.
