The racing chaplain offering spiritual guidance to Cheltenham Festival pilgrims

Ben Fudge will be out and about on the racecourse and available to anyone seeking a confidential ear during all four days of the jumps meeting

Horse racing pilgrims who travel to next week’s Cheltenham Festival will have someone they can turn to if in need of guidance.

Racecourse chaplain Ben Fudge will be present on all four days to offer a confidential ear to any racegoer, participant or member of stuff during the biggest jumps meeting of the year.

And he may even be able to answer punters’ prayers if his ‘horse of the day’ delivers, during his mission to be “pastorally proactive and spiritually reactive” to people of all religious faiths, or of no faith at all.

The 27-year-old Fudge, or ‘Ben the Chaplain’ as he is often referred, lives locally and, has worked at the track for two years after securing the position through Racing Welfare.

“It helps massively that I absolutely love racing,” he said. “Fontwell and Goodwood were my local racecourses growing up.

“In my mid teens I fell in love with racing, with the horse as a specimen of power and beauty and with the emotion of the sport. I could talk all day about horse racing so it’s a privilege to be able to be at Cheltenham and talk to fans about it.”

Fudge's conversations cover a variety of topics. “What does a chaplain do?’ is something I get asked a lot,” he went on. “Sometimes it’s about who’s going to win the race or it can cover life’s challenges. I think it is of real benefit.

“Very often I get asked, “Has God said who’s going to win the next?” or ‘Can you pray that this horse wins the next? It’s a good conversation to have.”

Fudge is not allowed to give out racing tips or bet while he is out and about on site, but he will try to identify a horse whose name complements his role. He has already found one likely candidate in the Willie Mullins-trained Meetingofthewaters.

“I will have a 'horse of the day' and Meetingofthewaters is named after the meetings of two rivers in Co Wicklow, the Avonmore and Avonbeg that form the Avoca," he explained.

“The horse won the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. He does have four entries but I’m expecting him to run in the National Hunt Chase.

“The name explains what I do. I see my role as similar, by meeting people where they are, coming alongside them and journeying with them together.

“My role is to be a familiar face who anyone at Cheltenham can have a chat with, share what’s on their mind with a confidential non judgemental listening ear.”