Showing Success Stories

I have grown up around horses, in particular racehorses, since I was a child. My parents train and breed point to pointers, which is how I first met “Haribo”.

Harry came to us for his last few seasons pointing, having won 7 already and being placed in his few outings under rules. Even though he was known as “the grumpy old man” something between us clicked and he was an absolute gentleman to ride. So when it came time to retire him at 12 years old, his owner kindly offered him to me for the bargain price of one penny!! I promptly wrote a letter to the owner thanking him for his kindness, and cellotaped my one penny inside the envelope as payment.

Harry was always known as a bit of a wonky donkey, and after calling the physio it was found he was quite out of place.  This then started a long process to building him back up and gaining back his condition.

We have now completed four ex-racehorse showing classes, qualifying for the SWPA championships on only our fourth ever show! I am so proud of him.  Not bad for a penny!

We now look forward to the future, with hopefully many more successes to come in showing (we shall try out the RoR series next year!), and branching out into other disciplines.  We also cannot wait to start the hunting season as it is Harry’s forte!

Attempting to retrain Harry and build our relationship is the most rewarding thing I have done! He is one in a million, and will never go anywhere, whether the grumpy old man likes it or not! Ha!

(Written by Hannah Davis, July 2010)

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Here follows a little story about Marshall Warning.

He is 10, by Averti, he 'found' me about 5 years ago, he was scruffy and skinny, but his paces were fabulous. Being a dressage rider, I noticed him immediately.

I had been asked to school him, he was a 'school horse' carrying novice riders around country lanes. Unfortunately his racing days had left quite a negative imprint on him: head shy, very apprehensive when some activity not involving him was happening, not the easiest to keep the weight on.... Well from ugly duckling he became the king of the yard, eventually I had to buy him.

He has been x-country and show jumping, not with me. He showed himself off in the dressage ring, with me this time, being addressed as a Trackehener more than once! In a very strange turn of events he turned himself in the perfect show-horse.

He is very sharp and at times not the easiest to do at home, but at shows he behaves impeccably. We always have a smashing time and unbelievably he is turning me into a show person! Me always focussed on Dressage!

I would like to give him a bit of notoriety because I reckon he deserves to be known, not a superstar on the turf rather as an ex-racehorse. He is great, a pleasure to have around and to deal with.

These photos are of him when he was a respectful 3rd in a field of 20, at only his second big show, at Moreton in the Marsh 2009.

(Written by Manella dell'orbo, April 2010)

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My ex-racehorse ‘Big Apple’ or ‘Apple’ as we like to call him was bred in USA and trained in Newmarket. He has travelled all over the world to New Zealand to name just one, but he spent most of his years in Hong Kong and won over $2.5 million there alone. He was then brought back by Mrs Countwell, the owner of Badminton winner Word Perfect II. After being vetted by Chris Bartle for potential Badminton winners, he was downgraded to a pony club horse and that is when I bought him.

He was so green at first, but he was very willing. Now five years later he has qualified at intermediate area 14 pony club eventing competition and our score has been good enough to qualify for the championships.

Not only is he a family horse and hunter but we've also tried our hand at showing. Our first outing was at Devon County, not knowing what we were doing, but we came 7th. At the next one, the New Forest and Hampshire County, to my amazement we won!

Our next show was a local SWPA show and he wiped the board getting Supreme of Show, so that meant we were off to the Royal London. I was in shock when we arrived to how professional everything was, and my heart sunk to see how big both the ex-racehorse classes and the veteran classes were. However, he won two veteran classes and was 1st and 3rd in the RoR. This meant that we had to go into the evening performances! Mum was panicking as we had to go out and buy a top hat and a black jacket in four hours. I was also a tad nervous as both Apple and I had never been in a ring with lights and music.

At 11pm it was our turn, and he amazed me yet again. He did not put a foot wrong growing with the atmosphere, and was Reserve Ex-racehorse of Great Britain.

At 21 he still never fails in amazing me and he is truly a horse of a life time! Before purchasing Apple I was put off buying an ex-racehorse and I thought they can be too much of a handful but Apple just proves me wrong. I would not hesitate in buying another ex-racer.

(Written by Hannah de Boorder, January 2010)

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Kicking King, the 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, is also proving a success in the showing ring.

He has participated in just two shows so far in his new life with Elaine Taaffe. One was the RoR/Tattersalls Show Series class at the Tattersalls/Ward Union Show in Ireland where he was second and qualified for the Series Final at Hickstead next year.

He also took part in the inaugural Racehorse to Riding Horse Class at the Dublin Horse Show, where he finished fourth. He was up against some other notable racehorses such as Champion Hurdle winner Brave Inca who won the class, and former dual champion chaser Moscow Flyer who came fifth (pictured from left to right: Moscow Flyer, Kicking King, Brave Inca).

Elaine is thrilled at his progress, commenting: "Judges love him but we need to do lots of work on him so I am doing dressage this winter with him. We are looking forward to Hickstead 2010 and hopefully more shows with RoR next year, once we get his gallop slower!"

(Written by Elaine Taaffe, September 2009)

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My horse Buzz, racing name Getatem, came to me from Linda Perratt’s training yard where he was a successful flat horse.

I retrained him myself and he has been a complete joy to own. He is rather spoiled and loves a jar of manuka honey every week, along with loads of ginger nuts. I think he is enjoying his life away from racing, and we now enjoy showing together. We have learnt so much together I can’t imagine life without him. He also helped me get over the loss of my mare to colic.

So far Buzz has been very successful in showing. We have been placed first and second at the Festival of Champions, and third at Blair Castle Championship Ex-racehorse Show where the competition was very strong with all the other competitors being previous champions. We have a wall full of rosettes and have been placed first to fifth at ex-racer shows as well.

(Written by Jennifer Lister, August 2009)

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Two years ago my Mum and I bought a 10 year old grey
gelding from a friend with point to pointing in mind, however a month later after standing novice champion at his first show just a week after learning to canter on the right lead our plans changed.

Gray Knight or GK, as he is known as at home, and I haven't really looked back since.  After starting life at Henrietta Knight's, GK showed a little potential in
bumpers and hurdles before progressing to chases and then point to pointing, where he ran 25 times winning and being placed most times.

For the first summer GK and I contested in a number of show classes and were never out of the top 3, we ended the season as champion ex-racehorse at the SWPA championships. Mum then hunted him through the winter where he enjoyed field mastering and whipping in, proving to be a true gentleman. GK and I have now just spent the last two years continuing in show classes, as well as enjoying eventing, showjumping, pony club and just happy hacking. He is the nicest horse to do, and has a really laid back attitude as well as being very willing to learn. We have been chosen to represent pony club in area dressage and will be going to pony club camp.

I was compelled to write this story after standing supreme
champion at an open show this weekend. I hope that him and I will perhaps one day qualify for the RoR show class and maybe even HOYS. If not I can genuinely say that GK is the best horse I have ever had and I hope the fun
we have together will continue.

(Written by Laura Grey, August 2009)

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Compton Bolter is now 12 and I was given him by his owner Eric Penser two years ago. He retired from racing aged 10, having won an impressive 12 races, many of them top level Stakes races including a Group 3.

I came by him by chance really. He was in a paddock with one of Mr Penser’s other horses Compton Drake who had been found a home, but we didn't know what to do with Bolter. I thought he looked rather nice and was very friendly so I casually said to Colin my husband who is stud groom for Mr Penser that, "I wouldn't mind that horse".

I went away for the weekend and came back to find the passport on the table with a note saying he was all mine. I have schooled and hacked him, taken him showing and ride him side saddle and astride. He is very comfy and well mannered and looks rather smug at times especially when side saddle. Colin took him to The HERO's Show for the in-hand class. He so enjoyed himself, and as he hadn't been to any public engagements for a while he was rather precocious but always just managed to contain himself, except when he took a swipe at my burger!

He is really enjoying his new life as a side saddle horse, hack and companion to others. I plan to do more with him next year when my other horse semi-retires, and hope to compete in the side saddle national show. He is such a super chap and I am certain he will continue to improve.

(Written by Helen Lawson, July 2009)

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Ringside View was in training with Ferdy Murphy and later Charlie Mann, and he ran on the flat and over hurdles. He won over hurdles under the famous Adrian Maguire, but apparently took some cajoling!!!

I purchased him four years ago when he did not even know how to canter, let alone try a circle. He had been with a hunting family since leaving racing, and loves to be out doing things. All the work has been done by me, a complete amateur, and we have never looked back. He has the most amazing laid back attitude and took to schooling well. His stunning looks proving more suitable for the show ring.

He loves to show off and our highlight so far was to become the 2008 Retrained Racehorse Champion and Group champion at the Chiltern and Thames Rider Championships. We hope to better our success in 2009, and to one day qualify for the RoR final.

(Written by Emma Dyer, June 2009)

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Commanche Kate aka Stroppy had a near fatal accident as a two-year-old, she ended up wrapped up in a barbed wire fence and rabbit netting and still bears the scars on her hind legs.  However, she still went into race training as a four-year-old with Charlie Morlock, and raced once but it wasn’t for her.

Her then owner brought her home with the intention of eventing her, but due to her ‘excitable’ nature the dressage side did not work out, this is when she was offered to me.  I bought Stroppy in March 2005, she’s a real character, almost human in fact, she loves her chocolate and her cake.

For the first year we just had a play about and got to know one another.  I mainly show jumped her and did a bit of cross country.  In 2006 we fell across the ROR Showing classes in the Chiltern Rider magazine and went along to Caddington Riding Club to have a go, and that’s where Stroppy’s showing career started.

We then entered four local classes, placed each time and qualified for the Chiltern and Thames Showing Championships where she was awarded a commendable 8th place!

At Leicester County Show this year she came 2nd in the RoR/Tattersalls Show Series class; I’m such a proud mummy!

She also loves hunter trials and enjoys show jumping.  We are still working at the dressage, it’s just not exciting enough for her – she just loves a party.

(Written by Amanda Docherty, May 2009)

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I was riding and schooling horses at a dealer’s yard, Jezz was there. She was going nicely but then the dealer started riding them, he was rough and had bad hands. Jezz reacted to this and became difficult, he put her in draw reins and used spurs. Jezz had started plunging, rearing and running backwards, eventually she was impossible to mount, she would rear and take off at a canter the minute you tried to get on. 

Obviously un-saleable by now she was chucked in a field. It was January, she was clipped, un-rugged and had no feed. I left the yard and rugged her myself. We had no where to keep a horse at home. However, I was very upset, so my Grandmother and I approached the dealer about buying Jezz.

She was in an awful condition. With some TLC her physical condition improved nicely over the summer, then I started her ridden rehabilitation work. After some careful handling and a lot of thinking I had her mounting and we started hacking out. Six months later I started her school work again, she was extremely nappy and if she couldn't throw you off she would back herself into a corner and lie down! She was obviously extremely traumatised. It took a lot more thinking and sympathetic ridding to get her over this.

I started In-Hand showing with her at local shows and we got 1st and 2nds, so this year I took her to the National In-Hand Show and we won! She has now started lateral work on the flat and we are going to start Dressage competitions soon. I also plan to do ridden showing with her too. She is a beautiful, sweet and kind natured horse, she still has her moments when ridden but they are no-where near as violent as they used be!

Written by Katharine Midgley (August 2008)

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Castleford, a 16.3hh ten-year-old gelding owned by Mrs Caroline Page ran his last race on the 19th April 2008 at the Holcombe Hunt Point to Point, and has had a very successful racing career in the past.

Since then Emma-Jane Barnes have been re-schooling him to show and have competed him at a few shows in which he qualified for PUK Summer Champs. Even after such a recent change of career, Castleford, ridden by Emma-Jane, won the Tattersalls Racehorse to Riding Horse qualifying class at the Champs, qualifying him for the finals at Hickstead next year.

Castleford and Emma-Jane, coupled with younger sister Sophie-Ann Barnes riding Persian Josr, another ex-racehorse, then went on to win the Pairs Riding Horse class at the Champs as well.

Persian Josr is a five-year-old gelding that has been owned by Sophie-Ann since he came out of training nine months ago. They have also already been very successful together in the show ring. They too have qualified at Cheshire County Show for the Tatersalls Racehorse to Riding Horse final at Hickstead next year. Sophie-Ann and Persian Josr also achieved 3rd place in the Amateur Riders Hack Championship class at the PUK champs. Castleford was also placed 3rd in the Hazeldon Rosettes Riding Horse Championship class, and 3rd in the Blue Chip Ridden Competition/Potential Dressage Horse qualifying class at PUK Champs.

Written by Emma-Jane Barnes (August 2008)

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Coeur Du Lion affectionately known as Frenchie is a 12 year mare by Whittingham who raced six times from David Nicholl’s yard at Thirsk.

However in the past few years she has shone in showing classes qualifying in 2007 and 2008 for the Tattersalls/RoR Finals at Hickstead. She has also won the Ex-racehorse Championship at the Festival of Champions at the Great Yorkshire Showground, and won at Thirlestane Castle when under side saddle.

Coeur Du Lion is owned, ridden and re-trained by Mrs Liz Kettle of Mickleby near Whitby, North Yorkshire. In the photograph they are at Thirlestane Castle in Scotland at the Scottish and FEI Junior European Championships which featured a popular parade of ex-racehorses.


Written by Susan Perkins (August 2008)

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Blue Streak, generally known as Blue, raced nearly 70 times, winning over hurdles and on the Flat.  He was trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Kevin Bell and Gary Moore. 

His now owner and rider Joey Ellis looked after him and rode him out every day for four years while he was at Kevin Bell's yard, during which time he was claimed out of a claiming race.  In 2004 Joey managed to claim him and again looked after him, riding him in amateur races including the prestigious Diamond Race at Ascot.

Blue retired from racing in March 2006, and soon made a winning show debut in August of that year.  In 2007, his first full season, he won 12 times including the Royal London Ex-Racehorse of Britain title.  In addiiton to qualifying for the RoR final at Hickstead, and ending the season as the SEIB and RoR affiliated showing points Champion.

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Differential ran 23 times in his career as a racehorse winning 5 flat races.  He was bought by trainer Bryan Smart for 35,000 guineas as a two-year-old at Tattersalls Breeze Up Sales in 1999 and has remained in his care ever since!

Differential won first time out at Windsor then proceeded to jump the running rail after the post, dropped his jockey and headed back towards the racecourse stables! He was placed a few more times at two years including finishing 4th in the Champion 2 Year Old Trophy (Listed race) at Ripon and at one time had a BHB Rating of 100.

As a three-year-old Differential started to break blood vessels and was sent to the sales, however, Bryan and his wife Vicky bought him back themselves determined to find the key to the horse that they had so much faith in.

A move from Lambourn to North Yorkshire in 2002 where they now train over 90 flat racehorses saw a return to form for Differential, and Smart’s patience was rewarded when he proceeded to win four more races.

Sadly at the end of 2003 Differential’s career came to an abrupt end when he fractured two vertebrae in his neck after getting cast. However, he proved the perfect patient and under the care of trainer’s wife and Equine Sports Therapist Vicky they began the long process of rehabilitation. During the Autumn of 2005 they started hacking out and re-schooling and the neck injury did not appear to bother him.

The ex-racehorse showing classes seemed a natural progression for them and they went to their first show at Area 1A in April 2006 where they came 4th in the ROR Hickstead qualifier. The remainder of 2006 was spent quietly re-schooling and re-educating Differential, taking him to small shows and riding club affairs in an effort to help him understand that every trip in the horsebox no longer meant a day at the races.

2007 saw Differential and Vicky’s first full season in the show ring and their patience was rewarded when they won the ROR class at Area 1a and qualified for the Hickstead final on their first outing of the season. A trip down to muddy Sussex was worthwhile when they came 4th in the RoR/Tattersalls sponsored Thoroughbred Show Horse Championship.

This was followed by a win at Borrowby Show, 4th place at Arena UK in the SEIB HOYS Racehorse to Riding Horse qualifier, and 2nd at Burghley and that coveted qualification for the Horse of the Year Show.

Vicky concludes: “The chance to compete at The Horse of the Year Show was a dream come true for me. As a child I was allowed to stay up late to watch the show jumping at HOYS and the memories of the excitement and prestige of this show came flooding back as I entered the ring on Differential. He went as well as he possibly could and behaved impeccably. He gave Lucy Killingbeck- the ride judge – a well mannered and obedient ride and stood like a rock when the crowd clapped and cheered as if he had been doing this job all his life. I am really grateful to SEIB and RoR for promoting the ex-racehorse and am quite sure that the popularity of these classes will grow as people become ever more aware of the versatility of the thoroughbred ex-racehorse.”

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I had not been in the ring for 15 years, and was introduced to Mulligatawny (Soupy) via Kristina Cook. He has a fabulous owner Jim Cromiak of Pell Mell Ptnrs in America.

My father (Barry Hamilton) and I used to show lightweight cobs – we had Mr.T. and William’s Knightsbridge. We have always worked as a team with my father grooming, me riding and my mother cooking. Through family illness and the loss of Mr. T we had to stop showing, and then I was married and had children! I am now a sheep and beef farmer and have over 30 liveries at our three farms, and these RoR classes have really got us back on our ‘showing’ feet again.

The joy we get from Soupy, and the pleasure that we get from your show series, has made this year such a happy and exciting year for us all. We qualified for Newmarket in hand at our first show and for the Championships at Hickstead at our second! We never go to the shows expecting to get placed and are always delighted if we do.

Soupy has been exceptional. He will happily be a lead horse whilst quietly hacking with my children and their ponies; he hunts with perfect manners; we have had fun at gridwork sessions; I’ve given my husband, Philip, lessons on him; he has raised money on sponsored rides for cancer care and he really comes to life at your shows.

We had to start Soupy from scratch as he had raced (apart from injuries) for nine years. His face has always been pleasing to the eye, but he didn’t know how to walk or trot (he crabbed everywhere) and he wasn’t used to the longer leg position. In the year we had him before we showed him we did a lot of Passoa lunge work with him to strengthen his back and we took him to as many different types of places as possible. The first time out with him we took him to a small show at Plumpton, which is where he had his last race. As you can imagine he made quite a fuss and the judge was petrified of him!

The beauty of these classes are that they do have the professional edge, but at the same time let ordinary Joe Bloggs onto the scene. So much can be learnt from watching the professionals and the classes are such fun!

Written by Claire Bower (July 2008)

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Double Take Again was previously called Farat, when in training with John Dunlop and then Nicky Henderson.  He won once and was placed numerous times winning just under £20,000, after which he was given to his ‘stable girl’ at the age of six years before moving on to Ann Baker on a lifetime loan.

It took him a season to settle into the show ring.  He didn’t like the white rails around the collecting rings and would only settle at shows where the collecting rings were surrounded in ropes.  Now he has now settled in to the show world he loves being looked at and admired. 

Double Take Again has won the Riding Horse classes at National Level on many occasions and qualified for the Royal International Horse Show.  He is a winner at The National Championship show and has been placed several times at County level. 

He spends his winters competing in cross country events and hunts most weekends.  He is ridden by Sarah Cuff, who is a full time teacher living in London, and Helen Baker keeps and schools the horse during the week and hunts him in the winter

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