New careers for ex-racehorses
A new national competition has been launched to celebrate ex-racehorses that have been successfully retrained to compete as sports horses, such as Diable Au Corps [pictured right], who is eventing with William Fox-Pitt.
The competition, “Racehorses to Riding Horses“, is organised bySouth Essex Insurance Brokers and QBE International Insurance and aims to find the year’s most successful “re-educated” horses in each of the disciplines.
“This competition intends to prove that it is possible to retrain horses that have been in training for the track to compete successfully in other disciplines,” said David Ashby, spokesman for QBE Insurance, which underwrites policies for South Essex. “Hopefully this will encourage more people to give these wonderful equine athletes a chance.”
The competition will be open to horses competing in affiliated and unaffiliated competitions, with categories for the top show jumper, dressage horse, eventer, endurance horse and show horse.
Each former racehorse’s competition successes during the 2002 season will be registered on a scorecard. Awards and trophies will be presented to the leading owners at the 2003 Supporters of British Breeding Awards dinner.
How to enter
Owners wishing to enter horses in the competition will need to prove their horses are registered with Wetherbys and have been in training, although they need not have raced. Horses mustcompete under the name registered at Wetherbys.
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Application forms, which must be completed before a qualification card will be issued, are available from “Racehorses to Riding Horses,” South Essex Insurance Brokers Ltd., SouthEssex House, North Road, South Ockendon, Essex, RM15 5BE. Please enclose a large, stamped and self-addressed envelope.
Read more about former racehorses:
- New challenge for young event horses
- Retired racehorsesjoin riding school
- New home for retired racehorses
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.