news A day out with the Ledbury awaits finalists in Ri-Dry RoR Racing to Hunting Challenge

• New format for the Ri-Dry Racing to Hunting Challenge
• Cash prize for the winner, Ri-Dry jackets for first three and free cap for finalists

The final of the Ri-Dry RoR Racing to Hunting Challenge has a new home for 2021 as finalists will be able to enjoy a free day out with the Ledbury Hunt while the judges assess the merits and behaviour of six individual horses in the hunting field.

The final of the event was previously held at Aintree Racecourse but this year the final will take place in the actual hunting field with six finalists invited to enjoy a day’s hunting with the Ledbury in early December, courtesy of RoR. The winner will receive the Meriel Tufnell Trophy at the prestigious RoR Awards ceremony, along with a cash prize and a Ri-Dry jacket, the second and third also each receive a Ri-Dry jacket from the event sponsor, Ri-Dry Clothing.

The Ri-Dry RoR Racing to Hunting Challenge is open to any former racehorse that raced in Great Britain (Point-to-Point or Under Rules). To enter, riders are asked to nominate their former racehorse by providing a brief biography of their horse’s career, both racing and hunting, together with photos or videos of the horse in the hunting field. It is free to enter and the closing date for nominations is 1^st October 2021.

The judging panel, which includes Sir Jonathan Clark, The Hon Lucinda Cavendish, Louise Daly and Joey Newton, will then review the entries and determine a shortlist of six candidates and four reserves. The selected finalists will then be invited to enjoy a free day’s hunting with the Ledbury in early December. Throughout the day the finalists will be judged on all round behaviour and manners out hunting.

The last staging of the Ri-Dry RoR Racing to Hunting Challenge was won by Amy Morgan and Kikos from the Heythrop Hunt. The then 17-year-old gelding had a racing career spanning six years before switching to the hunting field in 2013 where Kikos acquired an enviable reputation on account of his good manners and versatility.

Di Arbuthnot, Chief Executive of RoR, said: “We are genuinely excited to see how this new format works. Judging the finalists in their natural habitat of the hunting field will, we hope, widen the appeal of the challenge. We are indebted to the Ledbury Hunt for providing the opportunity for the finalists to enjoy a fun day out.”

Dan Watt, Managing Director of Ri-Dry Clothing, sponsors of the Racing to Hunting Challenge, said: “We are delighted to continue our support for the RoR through sponsorship of the Racing to Hunting Challenge. It is a great fit for our Ri-Dry waterproof clothing range, which is renowned for its durability and adaptability in all weathers, as these are also the attributes shown by all the former racehorses now excelling in the hunting field.”

To enter visit https://www.ror.org.uk/series/558