Cash boost for racehorse retraining
The Horserace Betting Levy Board will be continuing its support of the British Horseracing Board’s Retraining of Racehorses charity with £51,000 promised during the next year.
Annie Dodd of Retraining of Racehorses says: “The Horserace Betting Levy Board has given money to the charity every year since it started in 2000.
“The money is not allocated to any specific cause but goes into the general funds to be allocated by the trustees. The majority of money goes to the three retraining centres with a small amount used on promotion.”
The three centres supported by the charity are Greatwood Caring for Retired Racehorses, the Moorcroft Racing Welfare Centre and the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre.
Retraining of Racehorses aims to raise funds within the racing industry to help retrain and re-home ex-racehorses, and to show how such horses can thrive in a second career.
Ex-racehorses can go on to excel in dressage, showing, show jumping, eventing, polo, horse ball and endurance as well as hacking, hunting or as companions. There are currently around 900 ex-racehorses playing polo and William Fox-Pitt’s ride Stunning, who certainly lives up to his name as an eventer, also won 12 races.
Around 4,000 horses leave racing every year; most go to professional retrainers, are privately homed or sold through the sales ring. Moorcroft, Greatwood and the TRC take on some horses from owners and trainers as well as cases requiring charitable intervention. The ex-racehorses taken in by these centres may be loaned out to suitable homes, but they are never sold.
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For more information about Retraining of Racehorses visit: www.ror.org.uk
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Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.