Victoria Bertorelli was in “total disbelief” when her own one-eyed former racehorse landed the Tattersalls Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) amateur ridden championship at the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting.
Victoria rode 16-year-old An Cathaoir (Angus) – by Turtle Island out of Money for Buttons – to win the National Hunt (NH) amateur section en route to the championship. The pair also finished second in the open National Hunt ridden final to Royal Windsor winner Falloway Dubreau and Eve Nicholls.
“He had a pretty poor racing career,” said Victoria, who works full time at The Hunting Shop. “He had been bought to be a chaser but only made it round a few point-to-points before they realised he spent too much time in the air over jumps.”
Victoria bought Angus during the 2020 lockdown. She explained: “He’d been a huntsman’s horse following the Pembrokeshire and Brecon Farmers hunts, so this is actually his second career change from racing.”
With limited fixtures in 2020, the pair managed just two outings before Angus was diagnosed with uveitis and had to have his eye removed two months later.
“It was the best decision we have ever made and he bounced back from it easily, but then he was injured and spent 12 months in rehabilitation,” she said.
But he bounced back again and they have enjoyed successes since including winning at the Royal Welsh show twice and good placings at the Aintree RoR Championships and London International.
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Angus and Victoria also compete in dressage and have qualified for the British Riding Clubs National Championships.
Victoria Bertorelli and An Cathaoir trot to victory in the RoR amateur championship
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
“I came out this year hoping to finish in the top three at the Derby meeting as I always wanted to gallop up that grandstand in the International Arena and we got to do it twice – I don’t think I will ever get that feeling again. Angus came alive in that ring and the more people cheered, the more he galloped,” said Victoria, who believes Angus is the first show horse with one eye to have won in the main arena at Hickstead, following in the footsteps of showjumper and 2014 Derby winner Adventure de Kannan.
“My ultimate goal for this year is to qualify for Horse of the Year Show, but if we don’t get there it’s ok – we have just won the ROR Tattersalls amateur final! He’s my one-eyed legend.”
In reserve for the amateur championship was HOYS-bound Maisie Bush and Joe Warbrick.
This was one of three prestigious RoR finals last week.
Taking top honours in the Hickstead Tattersalls RoR open ridden show series final were last year’s reserve champions Festive Fare and Rebecca Court, who pipped The King’s former HOYS and Royal Windsor winner First Receiver and Katie Jerram-Hunnable to the post.
At the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, Rich Man Poor Man, owned by Morean Hamilton and ridden by producer Kristine Douglas was champion in the Tattersalls RoR open ridden Scottish show series for the third time.
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Bethan joined Horse & Hound as showing editor in January 2025, after spending two years as Editor for Showing World. Having adored ponies since childhood, she started showing as a teenager and has enjoyed wins at major shows up and down the country, including Royal Highland, New Forest, and the Royal Welsh, as well as HOYS, RIHS and London. She is particularly passionate about Welsh breeds and is also a Welsh language commentator.
