Success stories Racing Staff Week - Isabella Holman

I started working for Chris Gordon around 2 1/2 years ago and still work there now. I was given Milnthorpe (Milo) to look after within a few weeks of being there. He was a lovely kind horse, who struggled to find his feet within the racing industry. He certainly wasn’t the best race horse in the world but he had a heart of gold and still does to this day. After a few bad runs over hurdles, the owners decided it would be best to sell him for him to do something different.

I then took Milo on as my own and began retaining him after he had a few months off work for a racing detox. I originally decided to aim him towards fun rides and hacking as he was so safe and sensible. However having another horse of my own who I compete internationally for British Horseball Association I had the idea of seeing how he would react to playing horseball.

Being such a good doer he took to it really well and he continued his training over the following year. He played a single weekend of horseball last year in 2021, with a good friend of mine who competed him in the Pro Elite division. Because he is such a big horse for his first experience into horseball I wanted to make sure he would be in perfect hands, hence why I allowed my friend to ride him. Again he took to it so well we continued his training on to the new 2022 season.

He is now regularly competing at Pro Elite level and getting better and better each time. Myself having two horses in this division can be difficult so he has also been shared with my junior international coach who has hung up her coaching to come and give Milo a super experience of horseball. My aim is to take him on more next season as my other horse gets older.

Other than horseball he has been such a pleasure to own he is such a kind and gentle horse despite being 17hh! I have owned horses for many years now and he has to be one of the most genuine horses I have ever had. Which is why I decided to send over our story.