What makes a brilliant racehorse name? You decide

The quest is on to find the most appropriately named British racehorse.

Burythorpe House, a Yorkshire hotel, has set up a contest to judge the best name of any horse currently running under rules or in point-to-points, including horses due to make their debuts this season.

Whoever submits the winning name will receive a two-night stay for two at the hotel — and the same prize will go to the owner of the winning horse.

Burythorpe operations director Frank Malone said: “Joe Mercer famously said that good horses have good names. More and more horses are becoming blatant four-legged adverts for a website, or resemble a bad hand at Scrabble which even the most seasoned commentators can’t pronounce. ”

Entries should be made online at www.burythorpehouse.co.uk — and should ideally take into account the sire and dam’s names.

Closing date is 11 January, and the winner will be announced on 19 January at the Yorkshire Area Club point-to-point.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (13 December, ’07)

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