Supported By
Contact:
Di Arbuthnot (Director of Operations)
T: 01488 648998
E: info@ror.org.uk
Registered Office:
Retraining of Racehorses
75 High Holborn
London WC1V 6LS
UK Registered Charity No: 1084787
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Horseball Success Stories
With the right retraining and the right rider an ex-racehorse can adapt to any equestrian activity, as illustrated by these stories of former racehorses in their second careers. The RoR is always interested to hear of other success stories so please email us and send a photograph of your own story.
Little Miss Tricky is one of the best at horseball
Oliver Blower has had his retrained racehorse, Little Miss Tricky, for five years now.
This photo was taken when Oli and Tricky travelled with their Melton Mowbray Horseball Club team mates to compete in the FIHB Horseball Champions League in November 2008. The team finished 4th overall!
The team qualified for the competition as winners of the British Horseball Association League in 2007. They also won the Open Championships and League in 2008 and the Open Championships in 2009 (there was no BHA 2009 as we opted for Regional competitions).
The pair also travelled as part of the 2009 European Cup squad to Oviedo, Spain in September this year representing Great Britain!
This means that Melton are arguably the best horseball team in the UK and Tricky is one of the best horseball horses in the world!
(Written by Emma Lowther, December 2009)
Vindaloo - hot on the racecourse and at Horseball
Vindaloo ran thirty times equalling the twentieth century record for the number of handicaps won in a season. After an unsuccessful hobday operation, he was retired from Jimmy Harris’ yard in Melton by owner Mrs David Abel.
Matthew Worthington was a ‘lad’ at the yard of Jimmy Harris during the time that Vindaloo was in training there. He had changed jobs to become a scaffolder but continued to ride and achieved International team status in the British Horseball Team with his TB mare (of 15.1hh). The scaffolding job had increased Matt’s weight considerably so when Vindaloo was spotted in a field looking suitably bored playing nanny to an old pony he asked if he could use him for horseball.
Vindaloo gave Matthew and his Nottingham first division team British Horseball League Cup victory in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. He also partnered Matthew and British Ladies rider Donna Allen at Sheffield BSJA Open Championships International Horseball Clubs competition in 2003 and 2004.
Internationally, Vindaloo competed in the British Team at the Salon de Cheval in 2001, Beja (Portugal) in 2002 and Reguengos de Monsaraz (Portugal) in 2003.
During his International years, he also hunted with the South Notts and competed in local dressage competitions through the winter.
After retiring from International competition, he took novice Nottingham riders Brett Perkins and Lee North to Novice and Second Division league wins in 2006 and 2007. He is currently fit and ready to start a new Horseball season in April 2008.
At the age of 15, he continues to perform incredibly well with amazingly clean legs and a heart as big as a lion.
