Laura Renwick’s star band of home-breds and young recruits is turning heads for all the right reasons – as the leading British rider builds towards the future and eyes a return to the very top.
The equine pupils in John and Laura Renwick’s breeding and production programme were prolific at the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby meeting last month, and that form has continued with impressive performances at Bolesworth.
“I’m very lucky with my young ones at the moment. They’re all incredibly talented and they’re just a pleasure to ride. They just seem to be on my wavelength, which is lovely, so I’m really enjoying it,” Laura told H&H, following a win with NFS Top Gun in a seven-year-old class on the opening day (Thursday, 3 July) of the second week of Bolesworth, presented by Al Shira’aa.
The son of her Olympia puissance winner Top Dollar VI, who is out of Laura’s former superstar ride Beluga II, also picked up a winner’s rug at Bolesworth last week. Before that, he landed the Breen Equestrian Beethoven seven- and eight-year-old championship title at Hickstead’s Derby meeting.
His winning round in Bolesworth’s international arena yesterday morning was deceptively fast – this scopey gelding covers the ground with such easy grace, without hurry. His attitude, explained Laura, is a wonderful quality.
“I’ve been in it a long time now, and I think the right attitude is one of the most important things a horse can have,” she said.
“When you get one who just works with you, really seems to want to do it and wants to help you out, which he does, it’s great. I love him.”
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She added: “Last week he had a win, then he had an uncharacteristic pole in the final. I know it sounds a bit big-headed, but he doesn’t knock many jumps – touch wood.
“I’d seen Sven [Joseph Hadley] go, and that looked a very fast round. So I thought, ‘Well, I’m not going to do anything stupid, I’m just going to do what I know my horse can do’. And that just shows you how quick he is, as it felt like a nice, controlled round, but he was just faster.
“He lands and seems to know where I want him to go, which helps, and he’s always with me – that just makes such a difference when you’re going against the clock. He made it feel very easy today.
“He’s been like that from day one, a real pleasure to do everything with. He’s an exciting one, as is the other seven-year-old I have. We’re looking forward to the future – we’re not wishing the time away, but it’s nice to have these ones coming through and building back up again.”
That other seven-year-old is Top Star C (by Big Star), a half-brother to Top Dollar, and who joined NFS Top Gun on the podium at Hickstead. His talented stablemates also include the trio who took the top three places in Hickstead’s six-year-old final – winner D-Ons Yvonvhs Z, who was sourced from the Netherlands as a three-year-old, home-bred runner-up NFS Taluga (also out of Beluga) and another young Dutch recruit, Opium VD Kruisselbrink.
“I’ve been privileged in my career,” said Laura, explaining that she has been able to bring a lot of young horses through the grades.
“When I started we bought them as young ones. But as time’s gone on, I’ve ridden good mares and we’ve bred from them. Breeding them brings a different, special delight – they’re part of the family and you get a proud feeling, I suppose like watching your kid at sports day!
“It makes it fun still, and you feel like you’ve got something to look forward to. Even though I haven’t got the horses at the very top level at the moment, I’m hoping to build back up again. Hopefully, perhaps, in a year or two, we can be back where we used to be. To be there on a home-bred one would be amazing.”
NFS Top Gun’s win yesterday morning was the second of a quick-fire double for Laura, who also topped the opening CSI4* 1.30m speed class with her 11-year-old home-bred stallion Cottee.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Laura. “He jumped clear every day, and he got a win last week as well, he just missed out on the last day, so I thought today I would really have a crack at it and managed to win by five seconds, he felt super.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
