It seems a good way to end the year by
applauding some famous ex-racehorses who have done well in their
retraining. As we know, racehorses that are good enough at racing to
become famous 'household names' sometimes find the transition to
another job more difficult than racing no-hopers do. A horse that
raced a few times unsuccessfully and then left training will not have
the mental attitude or physical characteristics (including injuries)
that a long-serving campaigner will. The less racing a horse has
done, the easier he usually finds it to adapt to a new life. So,
it's especially pleasing when some of the famous, battle-hardened
ex-racers we've all seen on TV in top-class races learn to adapt and
mellow into 'pleasure horses' with comparative ease.
Channel Four's The Morning Line
programme, much to its credit, has been running a series of picture
reports on ex-racehorses, which so far has included lovely shots of
both Denman and Big Buck's out hunting recently, as well as Washed
Out eventing, Media Stars showing, and My Way de Solzen carrying his
doting new 'mum'.
Horse and Hound magazine
– always a staunch champion of retrained racehorses –
published a 'Life after Racing' feature on 6th November,
showing some grand old favourites in their new roles.
Blazing Bailey, who won 12 races and
£380,968, is now owned by Sarah Welford , who looked after him at
Alan Kings training yard from the day he arrived there. He is now
enjoying doing hunting, hunter trials and team chasing.
Barber's Shop – owned by The Queen -
won 8 National Hunt races and had
second at the Cheltenham Festival. He is now a successful
show-horse, winning ROR classes at Royal Windsor, Hickstead, and
the Royal Welsh Show. Next year, having proved he can do it at home,
he'll be showing under side-saddle!
Forpadydeplasterer – a Cheltenham
Festival winner who amassed total prizemoney of £471,862 - is now
an unbeaten show-horse in ROR classes in Ireland. He paraded
side-saddle at the Punchestown Festival this year – and that only a
few months after he left training.
Monkerhostin – called 'Monkey' at
home – ran 61 times and won 12 races, including the Coral Cup at
Cheltenham and the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown, earning £602,030.
Now 17 years old, (18 on January 1st!) he enjoyed
several seasons hunting before winding down further and now acting
as a lead horse for youngsters and children's ponies.
Jack The Giant won nearly a quarter of
a million pounds in National Hunt racing. He is now a successful show
horse in ROR classes, and aims to do working hunter classes in the
future.
Comply Or Die won the Grand National,
as well as seven other NH races, to gain £798,809 in prizemoney. Now
15 years old, and still owned by the Johnson family, he is enjoying
life as a dressage horse and recently qualified for the ROR
championships.
Binocular won £797,648 in 13 races –
mainly partnered by Champion Jockey A.P. McCoy. Retired in the
spring of 2013, Binocular has been showing this summer in ROR
classes, and competed at the Dublin Horse Show. (Though apparently,
in true ex-racer fashion, Binocular got a bit over- excited at Dublin
after the first gallop!)
Big Buck's had a phenomenal career as a
hurdler – he was 'simply the best' and won - well, everything,
really, until his last race in March 2014, when it was clear that
age and effort had caught up with him. Having won £1,309,055, he had
certainly earned a quieter life, and his doting owner and trainer
retired him immediately. He is now enjoying life hunting in Dorset
with Lucy Tucker. It's amazing, and a testament to the horse's
ex-trainer and handlers, and his present 'new mum', that this
renowned stress-head of a horse, who used to box-walk for Britain
and only retired in the spring, has so quickly adapted to 'civilian
life' and is now described by Lucy as 'very easy and
straightforward.' Horse
and Hound did a wonderful
piece on Big Buck's and his retraining on 2nd November.
It's heartwarming, and inspiring, to read.
Best wishes to all ex-racehorse, and
their humans – here's to a happy and successful 2015!