Thursday 18 October- ARC RoR Awareness Day
Parade Time: 15.05pm
This year Arena Racing Company (ARC) has joined forces with British racing’s official charity for the welfare of retired racehorses, Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), to stage a series of awareness days across courses in the ARC group.
Today is the seventh in the series of nine; following on from the most recent day at Chepstow on Sunday.
The ‘ARC RoR Awareness Days’ feature parades by former racehorses who have been retrained and are enjoying a fulfilling second career in another equine discipline. The aim is to increases awareness among racegoers of the versatility of racehorses and the increasingly wide range of options available to them when their racing careers are over.
The events are supported by the Peter O’Sullevan Trust, who are valued sponsors of RoR. For more information about Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) visit: ror.org.uk
The horses in today’s parade, together with the principal activity they are doing and their riders are as follows:
Blue Lodge (Team Chasing) - Ridden by Jo Kearns
12-year-old gelding by Wareed, formerly trained by Naomi Spalding
Although a maiden under rules and in point-to-points after a four year career racing, Blue Lodge, or ‘Dodge’ as he’s known at home, has gone on to make a super horse for cross-country hunt races and team chasing. In his hunt races he always finishes in the top 10, with many seconds and thirds to his name. He has also jumped round the Team Chase Open Championship with the Rideaways and he will be aimed at the Golden Button race in the Ledbury country next, as this is the only hunt race he has yet to take part in.
Gold Nugget ( Eventing ) - Ridden by Andrew Downes
8-year-old gelding by Elusive City, formerly trained by Richard Hannon Snr
Gold Nugget ran three times on the flat without troubling the judge. However, he is now really making his mark in the eventing world. In 2017 he was placed in two star events at Millstreet and Strzegom and won the RoR Elite Eventing Award. This year he was placed in a two star event at Barbury, completed the Advanced for 8 & 9-y.o’s at Aston le Walls, and won the RoR NTF Retrained Racehorse Eventing Championship at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe. Gold Nugget is calm in the dressage, careful in the showjumping and fast, bold and accurate on the cross-country. He is an absolute star!
Keene’s Pointe ( Showing ) - Ridden by Rosemarie Sargeant
8-year-old gelding by Avonbridge, formerly trained by Steph Hollinshead
Keene’s Pointe ran a total of 68 times on the flat, winning four races in a career spanning five years before joining the Sargeant family in October 2017. His first outing was the local Eccelshall Agricultural show in September, where he exceeded all expectations, winning not only the In-hand RoR class but also the overall In-hand Championship. The aim is to produce him over the winter for dressage and next year to show him in RoR classes and the ultimate dream is to get him to Horse of the Year (HOYS). There are three involved with the horse, Rosemarie and her two daughters and they really enjoying working with this former racehorse.
Pancake Day ( Hacking ) - Ridden by Leanne Matheson
6-year-old gelding by Mullionmileanhour, formerly trained by David Griffiths
Pancake Day, as his name suggests, was born on Shrove Tuesday. During his racing career he ran 42 times, winning 5 races, running in the UK, Germany and Belgium. Upon incurring a knee injury, his German owners decided to retire him rather than risk further damage, and he was returned to his breeders, where he lives out his days being hacked out and looking after yearlings on the stud, just a few miles from Uttoxeter. Pancake Day was a favourite at Southwell and his ability and durability, whilst at the lower levels, is typical of the horses that make horseracing what it is and give owners days to remember.
Sharp Embrace (Hunting/Team Chasing) – ridden by Sue Thompson
25-year-old gelding by Broadsword, formerly trained by Martin Pipe
Sharp Embrace started his racing career over 20 years ago with Martin Pipe, where he ran twelve times without winning. He was then bought, aged 5, by Sue Thompson and he ran in a further 27 point-to-points and hunter chases until aged 13, when he eventually won and was retired from racing. Life has always been busy for Sharp Embrace as he was so uncomplicated. During the summer he would compete in riding club events, then in autumn he would go hunting and be in training for the next point-to-point season. After retiring from racing, he began hunting twice a week with the High Peak, jumping the Peak District stone walls, and competing on the Intermediate Team Chase circuit. More recently he has competed in several RoR competitions. He is amazingly versatile and leads an extremely full and varied life.
