news It’s never too late to learn a new discipline

RoR Veteran Series for Point to Pointers promotes second career options

To highlight post racing career options for Point-to-Pointers, Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) has teamed up with The Jockey Club to jointly support the RoR Veteran Horse Series. The first race in the series is at the Barbury International Point-to-Point on Sunday 15^th December and it has been well supported with 32 entries.

In all there are fourteen races in the series and the first four finishers qualify for the series final at the Melton Hunt Club on Sunday 10^th May 2020.

There are several examples of successful point-to-pointers who following their retirement from racing have gone on to enjoy considerable success in another discipline, proving that age is no barrier to success in RoR events.

The winning pointer and hunter chaser What Of It retired in 2015 aged 12. Within three years What Of It was crowned RoR Elite Showing Champion, following victories in two of the most prestigious RoR showing classes in the country. Owned by Sarah Ward and her son Tom and ridden by Hannah Horton, in 2018 What Of It swept all before him, winning the Tattersalls Series Final at Hickstead before being awarded Supreme Champion at the RoR Goffs UK National Championships at Aintree.

After a seven-year career between the flags and under rules, winning nine races, five in points and four under rules, Jess Westwood’s popular chaser Monkerty Tunkerty retired from racing in 2016. The pair quickly found their feet in a range of other disciplines, including showing, dressage and show jumping. The now 16-year-old’s fantastic versatility earned Monkerty Tunkerty the accolade of RoR Horse of the Year for 2018.

Lough Inch was prolific in point-to-points winning a remarkable 19 races from just 26 starts. Now aged 12 and in the care of Lizzie Harris, Lough Inch has transferred his ability to his second career, taking Lizzie to the Goffs UK National Championships in their first year competing in RoR classes.

Throughout the fourteen race series RoR will be aiming to increase awareness of what the charity can offer to assist horses in retraining for a second career, including an extensive range of educational clinics and club nights that are available to those that register horses with RoR.