F EATURE RETRAINING OF RACEHORSES
Discover more about the former racehorses enjoying second careers in alternative disciplines New lease of life
Coneygree: the winner of the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup, Coneygree has a home for life with Mark and Sara Bradstock. But he has not been resting on his laurels. Instead, he has been carving out a new career for himself in the show ring.
T he demand for retired racehorses in the wider equestrian market has increased markedly in recent years as more and more people have come to appreciate the thoroughbred’s versatility and adaptability for the likes of dressage, polo, showing and eventing. Helping drive the increase in demand is the sheer range of competitive opportunities now available for former racehorses, which have been created by Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), British racing’s own charity for the welfare of retired racehorses. In the 15 years since RoR started staging classes and series exclusively for former racehorses, annual participation in RoR showing events has risen from 270 horses to 3,467; in dressage it has gone from 0 to 4,148; and in eventing from 0 to 2,912. To provide some perspective, in 2019 (last full year pre-Covid) more thoroughbreds took part in RoR dressage competitions than ran in steeplechases (4,148 vs 2,965). RoR’s strategy has been to develop longer-term, sustainable solutions to the question of what happens
to horses when they finish racing by generating a demand for these horses across a range of equine disciplines. In non-Covid affected times, RoR annually stages 40 separate competition series across 15 different disciplines, catering for all levels of ability from grassroots to elite. The disciplines include dressage, showing, polo, eventing, show jumping, endurance, hunting and horseball. Di Arbuthnot, RoR Chief Executive, explains: “People expect the likes of Coneygree and Cue Card to be given fabulous retirements on account of what they achieved on the track, but it is not always clear what future lies ahead for the less celebrated horses. What RoR has done is give former racehorses, whatever their ability on the track, a second chance to shine. “Racing should be proud not only of the former Gold Cup winner who is nowwinning in the show ring, but also of the likes of Glenfly, a very moderate racehorse last seen pulling up at Towcester, who went on to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in Eventing.”
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