There is always a parade of
ex-racehorses at Aintree for the Grand National meeting, and 2016 was
no exception. Usually a string of venerable, portly, and sometimes
hairy, old warriors - Grand National-winning heroes all, - is led
round in-hand by their proud grooms just before the big race. Each champ sports a paddock
sheet with hjs name on it ( they're always he's these days – the
last mare to win was Nickel Coin, way back in 1951) and the
commentator recounts the details of the victories and maybe a few
titbits of what some of the horses are now doing. (Eating, sleeping,
and lolling around the field, where some of these old boys are
concerned... and well-deserved too!)
Recently, though, the concept has been developed. At last week's Grand National meeting, a parade was
organised by Retraining of Racehorses on the first day,Thursday. and while some of the horses
in it had actually raced at Aintree, not all of them, by any means,
had won the Grand National, or even run in it. So, there was former
National winner Comply or Die, and that old favourite and Aintree
specialist Monet's Garden, alongside Liverpool who – gorgeous
showing champion though he now is – was frankly a fairly terrible
racehorse. But the point of this parade was not so much to applaud
past victories and wonderful old pensioners, but to showcase and
celebrate how brilliantly ex-racehorses can be retrained to do new
jobs, and have highly successful second careers.
So, for a start, the ex-racer paraders
at Aintree on Thursday were ridden, not led in hand, round the ring.
Liverpool, bless him, was ridden sidesaddle, looking for all the
world as if he was hacking elegantly down Hyde Park's Rotten Row.
Good old boy Denman was there too, looking fabulous and full-of-it,
as well as Cinders and Ashes, Danny John Boy, Mad Moose ( who really
was, but now enjoys hunting and, of all things, dressage), Midnight
Chase, Naunton Brook, and Peddler's Cross.
The range of new activities these lads
were now undertaking, and winning at, was impressive. Most had
done well in the showring, some, like Liverpool, Monet's Garden and
Midnight Chase, at national level. Many of them were also re-schooled
for dressage – who would think a Grand National winner like Comply
or Die could win at dressage competitions too? But he does, and at
quite a high level. Most of these horses also go hunting – Midnight
Chase, a five-time winner round Cheltenham, is now hunted regularly
as a Master's horse by his owner's daughter, Sally Hayward, who is
Master for the Cheshire Forest Hunt. Naunton Brook carried a field
master out hunting, too, in his first post-racing job. Now he does
showjumping and working hunter classes, as well as regular hunting.
Peddler's Cross is showjumping too, and doing hunter trials. Cinders
and Ashes is about to compete in ROR dressage and showing, and the
multi-talented Danny John Boy does eventing as well as showing and
dressage. Denman, of course, loves his hunting, and is also a great
team chaser, as well as being brilliant at – well, being Denman!
Each and every one of them is a wonderful example, and advertisement,
for what ex-racehorses can achieve after their racing careers are
over. I wonder how long it will be before we see ex-racers in the
parade who succeed in even more second-career options – polo, le
trec, horseball, mounted games...? (I do know of a couple of
ex-racers who compete in mounted games – though admittedly one of
them is a retired racing pony.)
(For comprehensive details on the
parade, and all the horses, there is a great article by Chris Wright
in the Liverpool Echo, 31 March 2016.)
It was specially pleasing that the TV
Aintree Festival, made a special - if short - feature of it. ( Just
a pity that it was not longer, did not show all the horses, and did
not give us any of the informative commentary that the racegoers were
enjoying. Ah well – at least ex-racehorses got a mention)
As a post-script to the Grand National
itself, it has been reported that this year's winner, Rule the World,
may now be retired by his owner, Michael O'Leary. In the past, Mr
O'Leary has been a little scathing of 'all this ex-racehorse stuff' –
so, what plans might he have for his National hero now? Has he had a
change of heart? Maybe this year's parade has set him thinking...?
Will Rule the World be in next year's Ex-racehorse Parade at Aintree?
( And what a team chaser he would make!)
