A grandmother who won a £4million beach-front mansion in Cornwall initially turned down the prize because she thought she had won a horse. Mary Dickson, 72, from Castle Douglas in south-west Scotland, was the lucky winner of a four-bedroom coastal property, but told Omaze organisers "thanks but no thanks" due to the confusion.
According to Mary, Omaze did not immediately tell her what she had won, instead taking her to the property so she could see it for the first time in person. However, when they arrived, the first thing Mary saw was a horse standing in a field, and she assumed that was her prize.
Horse mix-up at the reveal
Mary said: "I said thanks but no thanks. Then I realised I’d actually won a house, not a horse, so I quickly said thank you very much!" She was taken to a win 'reveal' location by Omaze where the mystery prize house would be displayed on a big screen. But when she arrived, the first thing she saw was a horse in a field - which she thought was what she'd won.
She said: "The first thing I saw when I turned the corner was a horse." Mary won the home outside the fishing village of Coverack in Cornwall from a £15 ticket. Her husband John, 76, was driving Mary home from work when the Omaze team first reached out. But Mary has revealed she nearly missed the call, as she didn’t have any signal and never answers calls from unknown numbers.
Prize details and plans
Mary added: "I ignored Omaze’s calls at first. But they texted me, so I checked them out online. They looked like the real deal, so I thought I'd better call back. Thank goodness I did!" Their new home comes mortgage-free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered, plus £250,000 in cash and £200,000 of furnishings.
The property boasts panoramic sea views, a swimming pool and direct access to Porthbeer Cove. Mary said they were in no rush to make a decision at present, explaining: "We're going to keep it for a while and just enjoy it and we can't wait to host Christmas here with all the family".
Life-changing win
Mary, who has worked in the public sector for 34 years, bought her winning entry for just £15 as part of her Omaze subscription, and only started entering after a colleague won an Omaze house in the Lake District in 2023. She said: "When I saw that he’d won, it made me realise real people really do win these houses - I did wonder if he'd used up all the luck around here, but it must've rubbed off on me."
The couple have been together since 1996 and married in 2017. Mary has two daughters, one of whom sadly passed away. They are very close to her late daughter's two boys - grandsons aged 17 and 22 - and say the win is "something that has changed our family's future".
The property sits on the Lizard Peninsula, on the eastern side of the Cornwall National Landscape. The sheltered, sandy crescent of Porthbeer Cove is a short stroll away along the South West Coast Path. Falmouth, with its harbourside restaurants and galleries, is around 30 minutes away, while Redruth offers the nearest mainline station, with direct services to London Paddington.
