news RoR launch hunt ride league for former racehorses

Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) is pleased to launch a new annual competition, the RoR Hunt Ride League, in which the top performing former racehorse across the UK’s best-known hunt rides will win a prize of £500, with £250 going to the runner-up.

The four hunt rides are the Melton Hunt Club (3^rd February 2019), the Golden Button (23^rd February), the Harborough Ride (23^rd March) and the Silver Spur (27^th April).

The RoR Hunt Ride League represents the first time that these exciting and competitive events have been joined together for an overall prize. Between 1-10 points will be awarded after each event with the first former racehorse home in the ride earning a maximum score of 10 points.

Hunt rides hark back to the origins of steeplechasing with dozens of riders taking part and experiencing the thrill of being on horseback, travelling at speed across hunting country, jumping whatever obstacles are in their way.

The first event in the league is the Melton Hunt Club Cross Country Ride, which has been running for over sixty years and takes place over a course of three and a half miles of open grassland in Leicestershire on Belvoir Hunt country.

Next up is the Golden Button Challenge, held in Gloucestershire on Ledbury Hunt country, run over approximately three miles with 22 obstacles. A month later the Harborough Ride takes place in Leicestershire, in the heart of the Fernie Hunt country, over three and a half miles.

And finally, the most recent addition to the list of celebrated hunt rides, the Silver Spur. Launched in 2016, it is run on undulating old turf, lasting approximately two and a half miles. It takes place in Northamptonshire on the Bicester with Whaddon Chase country.

To be eligible for the RoR Hunt Ride League and the chance to win the first prize of £500, each former racehorse must be registered with Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) prior to the first event they are competing in. To register and compete in a RoR competition costs £10 https://members.ror.org.uk/reg... Horses must also be entered and run in the hunt ride under their original racing name.

In addition to £500 first prize and £250 runner-up, the presentations for which will take place at the RoR End of Season Party in November, the first ten former racehorses in the league will receive mementos.