news RoR prizes on offer at Badminton

Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) is proud to once again be offering prizes to the former racehorses in action at Badminton Horse Trials this week. In addition to the award given to the highest placed former racehorse in the 5* international event, there are prizes in kind for those competing in the Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships staged on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This is the fifth year that RoR have presented an official prize for the best-placed former racehorse at the world’s premier three-day-event. This year Badminton Horse Trials has attracted a top-class field of entries which is headed by Great Britain’s reigning Olympic, World and European champions and includes 14 of the top 20 riders in the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings.

Looking to claim the £1,000 prize on offer for the best performing former racehorse is Soladoun, a 15-year-old gelding ridden by Irish based Elizabeth Power. Soladoun was originally trained in France by Keven Borgel, winning once from three starts, before he moved to England where he was trained by Alan King. However, he never reached the track in this country and was retired from racing.

It was at Daunsey Park in 2012 that Soladoun and Elizabeth Power first appeared on the British Eventing circuit and eleven years on, having climbed the ranks from BE100 to 4* the pair are set to compete at their biggest event so far.

The qualification process for the Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships stretches back a full 18 months and includes regional finals held in the autumn. The regional finals determine which horse and rider combinations qualify for the championships at Badminton, with only the top 20% going through.

Amongst those former racehorses that have qualified is Croft Allure, an 11-year-old gelding ridden by Amy Brown, who were the star turns at the RoR Scottish Dressage Championships in 2021. Also entered are Master Wickham and Claire Lewis, the pair having also previously qualified for the grassroots final at Badminton in 2019.

RoR registered horses competing in the Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships, below.

BE100
Croft Allure
High Valley
Master Wickham
Nightdress

BE90
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