Show Jumping Success Stories

We have only had Rapid Desire (stable name Kimi) since April this year, when we heard about her from a local jockey. She last raced at Southwell on 23rd March this year over hurdles, and was flat raced 5 times (but too slow) so hurdled but jumped, as the commentator remarked, " in-differently". She seemed to want to clear the fences rather than brush over them, although she always finished the race and was not always last, and she does have some winnings.

We thought she looked like she had some jumping potential so decided to give her a go at show jumping as we are members of the BSJA. She took to her flat work straight away and is incredibly balanced for a four-year-old let alone an ex-racer. She can throw a huge buck but not in a malicious way, its more out of excitement, and she really seems to enjoy the jumping side of things . She has no issues with fillers, water trays and if a jump looks a bit spooky she gives it a bigger clearance.

After we had her a couple of weeks we took her to Vale View for a jumping practice indoors just low but to get her used to a course and warm up area. After only four weeks off the track she jumped her 1st BSJA class on a ticket at Hargate (top photograph).

We then affiliated her but she sustained a kick in the field which gave her three weeks off, however, she is back in work now and we recently took her to Weston Lawns where she jumped a four-year-old class (bottom photograph) and British Novice. She jumped and behaved brilliantly with just an unfortunate fence down in each class. Her jockey is my 18-year-old daughter Charlotte who has had work experience with Michael Whitaker and jumps regularly on her 13-year-old chestnut grade A gelding. Their future together looks very exciting.

(Written by Stephanie Walker, June 2010)

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I have known and treated Regal Exit since he was two-years-old, and all through his racing career. Regal was kindly given to me by his owners three years ago when he finished racing.

He was originally trained on the Flat by Michael Bell and Mick Channon, but he was much more successful over the Jumps. He went on to be trained by Nicky Henderson where he was a fantastic second in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Since being with me, he has now taken to show jumping. Regal won the 80cm affiliated open and the KBIS Insurance Senior British Novice and the 90cm National Championship Qualifier 1st Round.

He really is an exceptional horse with a massive heart and is always trying his best.

(Written by Rebecca Bosworth, July 2009)

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“I’m Island Sound (Issie to my friends) and I like to think I’m quite a character! (if not yet completely reformed!) I’ve tried my hoof at quite a lot and am currently being put through my paces in the show jumping scene, where as usual I’m doing pretty well, despite every-one’s best efforts to confuse me.

They took me to Chester Racecourse and then fondly expected me to TAKE TURNS to jump the jumps in the collecting ring! Hanging back for others is taking manners to the extreme – especially when I can see those others down on the track limbering up! If elephants don’t forget – how am I expected to- after all it was only 8 years ago that I made all the running in the well-known Dee Stakes!

Once they ring that bell thing though and show me the respect I deserve by allowing me the whole joint to myself, the job is on, and I’m a different fellow! Her on top thinks any old rosette is good enough – but red goes much better with my colouring and I’m not going to settle for anything less. Shame the winnings in BSJA don’t quite come up to the standard I’ve come to expect in my racing career, but life on the whole is not too bad. As for the future----- well I’ve always fancied myself in front of a landau--- but then there’s all those speed cameras…….”

Trained throughout by David Elsworth, Island Sound ran 43 races on the flat, over hurdles and jumps between 1999 and 2005. He won a total of £88,576 prize money, which included wins at Newmarket (a Listed Race), Newbury, Epsom and Salisbury on the Flat, and Taunton, Wincanton and Stratford over jumps.

Island Sound’s second career is proving equally successful having qualified in the RoR showing series, and competing in unaffiliated Dressage with many wins. More recently he has started BSJA Showjumping, and qualified for the Scope Championship, British Novice, Equissage Discovery and Amateur Showjumping regional finals.

(Written by Jane Gough-Roberts, June 2009)

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My horse’s name is Tortugas AKA Torchy. Bred in France by Andre Fabre, he is 11 years old now and is feeling younger than ever.

I bought him in 2006 from a point to point trainer Martin Oliver who my mum worked for at the time. Martin owned him from a four-year-old and had him in training with Martin Pipe, Graham McCourt and Heather Dalton. He won over hurdles with Martin Pipe and Tony McCoy.

I came to own Torchy after a racing injury in a charity race at Ascot. He proved difficult to retrain at first as he is nervous and quite highly strung (he still has his moments). However, Torchy soon took to show jumping and hasn't looked back since. He has competed in all spheres but we mainly enjoy our show jumping.

He has been competing in all Riding Club activities where he was 4th at Area level SJ and has won Style and performance classes. We also represented Worcester Riding Club at Blenheim last year in SJ. After winning and being placed in many unaffiliated SJ classes I decided to affiliate him BSJA this year. So far we have competed in two competitions and have already won £45 pounds, and have qualified to the second round in the Amateur 1.00 M championships.

Torchy is a trusting, kind natured horse and I look forward to the future with him.

I also have another ex-racehorse called Phatic AKA Porky. He is in his first year of retraining after he won and was placed in a point-to-point for us. Let’s hope I have just as much success and fun with him as I have had with Torchy.

Written by Jodie Aston (July 2008)

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Swift Alliance was born in 1997.  He raced as a two-year-old, was gelded as a three-year-old and won one race at Folkestone.  He lacked speed for any major races and was sold ‘out of training’ by trainer Lady Herries.

Jonathan Martin who runs a livery yard bought Swift Alliance in 1999 and after re-educating the horse tried him in Riding Club competitions.  He won his first dressage test with 75%, followed by two clear show jumping rounds.  He went on to win with the West Sussex Riding Club team at the Royal International Horse Show, and is now jumping at Foxhunter level with winnings of over £300.  He is also the winner of the Retrained Racehorse Championship at Addington in September 2007.

Jonathan hopes he will go on to win more points and prize money show jumping in the future.

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When Grey Record (Jake to his friends) was first purchased by his owner (name), he would only canter on the right rein and stopped at every fence first time. He was a horse that required a lot of time and effort spent on him.

As a racehorse he was trained by Mrs M Reveley and raced twenty times. He never actually won a race but did come second a couple of times.

Grey Record and (name of owner) competed in the main arena at Hickstead twice whilst representing the Brocklesby Pony Club in the Senior Showjumping team, and represented the Pony Club at Area level in Dressage and Eventing.

In recent years Grey Record came 3rd at the Winter Dressage Championships in the Petplan Preliminary Area Festival. As well as doing well in the Riding Clubs Festival of the Hunter, Senior Horse Trials Three Day Event Championship, and winning a RoR prize in a Dressage Championship.

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“I visited HEROS and was shown Jonmar, a half brother of the Grand National winner Numbersixvalverde; I rode him in the school, jumped him and hacked him out. An invitation followed to a combined training show to watch Jonmar compete there by one of Grace’s professional staff.

I was smitten and I became the proud owner of a quality show horse with movement to match. He was exactly as described and there were no hidden extras. I absolutely dote on him and in his first season he went cubbing 7 times, had 15 days hunting, went hunter trialling and has now won £120 under BSJA rules.

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