The prime minister of an oil-rich Gulf state has stepped in to help a small Cornish village create a new community hub after residents pointed out their link to his horse racing empire. Residents of Godolphin Cross near Helston were struggling to get together the funds to buy a disused chapel that they hoped to turn into a community centre.



A bright spark wondered if they should write to Sheikh Mohammed, the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, the ruler of Dubai and founder of the Godolphin horse racing operation. They sent a letter to him more in hope than expectation – and were delighted when he agreed to pick up the bill for the shortfall between what the villagers had raised and the cost of the building, thought to be around £60,000.

The Godolphin Cross Community Association initially said only that it had received help from an unnamed international donor. But, when pressed on the matter, Richard McKie, one of the leading lights of the association, admitted that the sheikh had stepped in.

He said: “These kinds of things don’t normally happen. It’s a fairytale, really. It’s not often a sheikh steps in to help a Cornish village.”

The key link between the sheikh and the village in west Cornwall is a horse called the Godolphin Arabian. Also known as the Godolphin Barb, he was a bay colt foaled in Yemen in the early 18th century. The horse arrived in the UK via Tunis and Paris and was eventually sold to the 2nd Earl of Godolphin.

The horse died in 1753, and though he did not race himself, his descendants did. Famous horses such as Seabiscuit and Man O’War can be traced back to the Godolphin Arabian.

Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum at Ascot. Photograph: Hugh Routledge/REX/Shutterstock

The sheikh has many things on his mind right now. On the equestrian side, Godolphin lost its racing manager earlier this month, just before Royal Ascot. As for politics, the UAE is one of the nations involved in the Qatar blockade.

Villagers in Cornwall are touched that Mohammed – or his people – took time to consider their needs. McKie said: “Our backs were really against the wall. We can’t thank Sheikh Mohammed enough and we’d love to see him here. He would be assured of a very warm welcome. I think this shows that he’s interested in the history and values this Cornish link.”

The villagers will go back to basics this weekend when they hold their summer fete in the grounds of Godolphin House as they start to raise funds for the next phase of their project: the refurbishment of the old chapel.