Awards recognise the success of ex racehorses in eventing and dressage

The winners received their awards at the British Breeding Breeders' Awards Dinner, a glittering, star studded occasion that took place on 9th January at the Grange City Hotel, overlooking the Tower of London.

The first placed horse in the ROR & SEIB Elite Eventing Performance Awards was eleven year old, Kilpatrick River, with owner/rider Elizabeth Power.  He ran 22 times and came out of racing as a 5 year old.  Elizabeth rode Kilpatrick River to 11th place at the 2009 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.  She also took third place in these awards with her 9 year old, September Bliss, who had 6 starts under National Hunt rules.   Elizabeth, lives in Ireland but spends the competition season based in Malborough, UK.  She hopes to compete at Badminton and the World Championships in Kentucky this year.  Poilu, Simon and Bridget Hall's eleven year old gelding took second place in the performance awards.  He had 7 starts during his racing career and retired in 2004.  He was originally bought for Simon but after realising his potential, he was sent to Clayton Fredericks and took 5th place at The 2009 Landrover Burghley Horse Trials.

First place in the ROR & SEIB Elite Dressage Performance Awards was fifteen year old Bold Hunter, owned by Anne and Ian Bostock. They bought him as a 10 year old, when he came out of racing and Ian point to pointed him for 3 years.  When he was 14, Ann had a go at dressage and has been placed at every outing.  She plans to compete at elementary this year.  Second place went to Sam Perks' RockCracker, who was in training with George Margesson in Newmarket and had numerous 2nd and 3rd places.  He left racing aged 9 and was trained up to advanced medium dressage.  Sam took RockCracker on three years ago and they are members of the South West BYRDS team, competing successfully at elementary level.  Third place went to Dee and Tony Lousada's 18 year old gelding, Mr Bojangles, who they bought as a 4 year old.  He was raced over fences until he was eleven.  When he was retired, Dee continued to hack him out, but handed him over to a professional dressage rider and last year he was competed by Paul Hayler at advanced medium level and was working to prix st georges level. 

The South Essex Insurance Brokers Racehorse to Riding Horse Performance Awards were presented to the 6 riders who have accumulated the highest number of points during 2009, competing in their various affiliated disciplines (eventing, show jumping, dressage, endurance, showing and combined disciplines).
Laura Powell and her own 8 year old mare, Even Easier, took the Eventing Performance Award.  Even Easier was in training with Gary Moore and was successful on the flat as a two and three year old.  Laura bought her 3 years ago and together, they won the pre-novice eventing section at last year's South East Eventers League and the intro and pre novice section of Grassroots. 

Lorna Simpson won the Show Jumping Performance Award with her own eight year old gelding, Charlie Tee, who she bought 2 years ago. He competed in point to points with little success and had little going for him.  Lorna had no idea she had bought a horse with a Wetherby's passport and began to realise his potential as a show jumper.  They won the BSJA Amateur finals at Aintree in November last year and took a bronze medal in the Amateur Classic at the David Broome Centre in Wales. 

Sharon Hepworth won the Combined Disciplines Performance Award with her own ex-racehorse Jabulani who raced 13 times with a win at Wolverhampton in 2002.  Sharon bought him in May 2004 at the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales.  After a shaky start to 2009, when a car accident left Sharon with 3 cracked ribs, she took up showing and small jumping classes.  She accumulated a high number of points, securing this award for the second year running.

The Endurance Performance Award went to Val Jones' Flying Artist, who was born a twin but was the only one to survive.  Val bought her as a 2 year old and put her in training but she did not do herself justice so Val began the long process of making her into a riding horse.  They discovered Le Trec 5 years ago and more recently took up endurance and now compete with Endurance GB.

Joey Ellis won the Showing Performance Award for the third time with her own Blue Streak.  He was in training with Kevin Bell and Joey rode him in the Diamond Handicap Ladies race at Ascot in 2001.  She bought him in 2004 after a claiming race and rode him in several races under rules.  Joey then retired him and they took up showing and had consistent success in hack classes at National level.  Their aim is to compete at HOYS this year.

Native Caption, owned and ridden by Karen Harrison took the Dressage Performance Award.  The Harrison family bought him, as a 7 year old all-rounder, at the Doncaster Sales.  Karen has done a lot of eventing with him but due to an injury she sustained last year, was unable to event Native Caption and they had a go at dressage.  With success at Novice level, they will continue with dressage and try some showing this year.

South Essex Insurance Brokers instigated the Racehorse to Riding Horse Performance Awards in order to support the retraining of the thousands of racehorses who come out of training each year.  "The Performance Awards also provide a platform to show how a correctly re-schooled ex-racehorse can be successful in a new career and continue to have a bright future, competing successfully in many different disciplines.  This year's competition has proved yet again the versatility and resilience of the thoroughbred", says Nicolina Mackenzie, Marketing Manager of SEIB.

To find out more about the ROR and SEIB Elite Performance Awards and SEIB's Racehorse to Riding Horse Performance Awards, visit the performance section of our website at www.racehorse2ridinghorse.co.uk.  Details of the 2010 competition will be posted on the website soon.

FULL RESULTS

ROR and SEIB ELITE PERFORMANCE EVENTING

1st Kilpatrick River - 11 y.o bay gelding by Petardia out of Secret Sensation (IRE) (Classic Secret (USA)) Owned & ridden by Elizabeth Power of Malborough, Wiltshire.

2nd Poilu - 11 y.o chestnut gelding by Fearless Action out of Marielou (FR) (Carwhite).  Owned by Simon & Bridget Hall of Devises, Wiltshire & ridden by Clayton Fredericks

3rd September Bliss - 9 y.o bay gelding by Norwich out of Down The Garden (IRE) (Good Thyne (USA).  Owned & ridden by Elizabeth Power of Malborough, Wiltshire.

ROR and SEIB ELITE PERFORMANCE DRESSAGE

1st   Bold Hunter - 15 y.o bay gelding by Polish Precedent (USA) out of Pumpona (USA).  Owned by Ann & Ian Bostock of Stoke Goldington, Bucks and ridden by Ann Bostock.

2nd RockCracker - 17 y.o bay chestnut gelding by Ballad Rock out of Forest Blaze (USA) (Green Forest (USA)).  Owned & ridden by Sam Perks of Evesham, Worcestershire.

3rd Mr Bojangles - 18 year old bay gelding by Orchestra out of Lavarna Lady (Rheingold).  Owned by Tony & Dee Lousada, St Albans, Herts.

SEIB RACEHORSE TO RIDING HORSE WINNERS

EVENTING
Even Easier - 8 y.o grey mare, by Petong out of Comme Ca (Cyrano de Bergerac).  Owned & ridden by Laura Powell of Sevenoaks, Kent.

SHOW JUMPING
Charlie Tee - 8 y.o bay gelding, by Flemensfirth (USA) out of Lady Richenda (IRE). 
Owned & ridden by Lorna Simpson of Colchester, Essex.

COMBINED DISCIPLINES
Jabulani - 10 y.o bay gelding by Marju out of Houwara.  Owned & ridden by Sharon Helworth of Lundwood, Barnsley.

ENDURANCE
Flying Artist - 17 y.o grey mare by Naskracker (USA) out of Rising Artist (Mandamus).  Owned & ridden by Val Jones of Honiton, Devon.

SHOWING
Blue Streak - 12 y.o chestnut gelding, by Blue Bird out of Fleet Amour.  Owned & ridden by Joey Ellis of Bungay, Suffolk.

DRESSAGE
Native Caption - 13 y.o bay gelding, by Be My Native out of Hard Lady
Owned & ridden by Karen Harrison of Heath End, Cheshire.

Photograph by Trevor Meeks

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