A former Cheltenham Gold Cup who won over £1 million in prize money, a 20-year-old veteran, an ex-racer purchased with inheritance money and a further 11 versatile Thoroughbreds enjoying a successful second career will line up for the SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse Final at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) this week.
They are due in the Andrews Bowen International Arena at 11.50am on Wednesday 9 October 2024. Here are the ex-racehorses who have earned a prestigious ticket to the final:
As I See It
This 12-year-old bay gelding was bred by the Kelvin-Hughes and is by Kings Theatre. He was in training with Harry Fry during his racing days. As I See It is ridden by farrier Loti Innes-Parry. The amateur rider has owned the horse, who came from Sally Taylor’s racehorse rehabilitation yard, for three years.
Caraghann
Caraghann was sent to his current owner/rider Jasean Spraggett for pre-training by Ian Williams when he was three.
Caraghann wasn’t suited to racing and Ian knew Jasean loved the horse, so when the opportunity to have him came up Jasean took him on, thinking he would make a nice hunter or a working show horse.
Caraghann is the first horse Jasean has ever owned and competed, and this is his first season showing. Jasean is aiming him at the Working Show Horse circuit in 2025.
Falloway Dubreau
Eve Nicholls now owns and rides Falloway Dubreau, the Thoroughbred she looked after during his racing days at Fergal O’Brien’s yard. Eve, who still works part-time for Fergal, rode him out and led the horse up in all his races.
Falloway Dubreau ran in point-to-points and over hurdles but never made it to fences. He retired as a six-year-old and then Eve took him on.
The duo also won the dressage at the RoR Championships at Aintree this year.
Festive Fare
Festive Fare was owned by Sheikh Mohammed during his racing days and came to his current owner Diana Taylor via Godolphin Rehoming.
A successful racehorse, Festive Fare ran nine times during his racing days and was a group winner at Kempton. He cost £264,000 as a foal.
He is piloted in the ring by amateur rider Rebecca Court, a former winner of the SEIB Racehorse 2 Riding Horse Final in 2017 with Beware Chalk Pit.
First Fandango
Owned and ridden by Hannah Chisman, this 15-year-old bay gelding won over £68,000 during his racing career with wins on the flat, over hurdles and over fences.
He was trained by Tim Vaughan and ran at the Cheltenham Festival on four occasions. The horse last ran in May 2017.
This is First Fandango’s fourth consecutive visit to HOYS. With Hannah, his best placing is eighth in 2022. He was ridden to fifth by interim jockey Lizzie Harris last year, when Hannah was recovering from a knee injury.
Hannah previously campaigned First Fandango’s full brother, Nicene Creed, who also contested the Racehorse to Riding Horse final.
First Fandango also events at BE100 level, team chases and showjumps. According to Hannah, he still loves going up on the gallops and helping with the racehorses
Grandad’s Legacy
Jenni Powell has owned Grandad’s Legacy since he was a yearling. He was in training with Sam and Ali Strong and ran on the flat as a two- and three-year old.
When Jenni’s late father left her some money, she spent it on ‘Billy’, as the horse is known at home.
“Billy had great natural balance and so I thought if he didn’t make the grade on the racecourse he would always have another job to go to,” says Jenni.
“It turned out he didn’t like the stalls and racing wasn’t for him, so we turned him away before slowly bringing him back to retrain as a show horse.”
Jenni used to show ponies and horses when she was younger and had ponies at HOYS 20 years ago. Grandad’s Legacy will be ridden by Skye Houldsworth at HOYS.
Migration
Eight-year-old Migration won over £200,000 in prize money when he was in training with David Menuisier. His record card includes winning the Lincoln handicap in 2023.
When Migration came out to run in the Lincoln again on the 23rd March of this year, he decided he didn’t want to go and he was retired.
The horse has since been gifted to Georgina and Anthony Andrews, and he is ridden by Hannah Horton in the show ring.
Minella
Pam Pattison’s Minella is 20 years now, and has been in the same yard since he was a six-year-old.
He is owned by Pam Pattison, ridden by Alice Pimbley, and stabled with Jane and Martin Wanless who bought him from Ascot sales all those years ago as a point-to-pointer.
Minella was placed every time pointing, but never won one. He started his second career in showing at the age of 12.
Minella stood reserve champion at Aintree’s RoR championship in August.
Mumford
Eleven-year-old Mumford was formerly trained by Richard Hannon and latterly by Geoffrey Harker. He was placed twice in seven starts on the flat and last ran in 2018.
Now owned and ridden by Collette McGoldrick, Mumford finished fourth in the HOYS Racehorse to Riding Horse final in 2019, third in 2021, and sixth in 2022.
Mumford’s showing accolades include the Goffs supreme championship in 2019 and winning the title of champion racehorse at the UK National Championships in 2020.
Native River
Native River won the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2018 and amassed over £1 million in prize money during his glittering career on the track.
The now fourteen-year-old gelding was trained by Colin Tizzard in Somerset before retiring to Tom Malone’s nearby yard.
Tom Malone bought Native River as a four-year-old out of a yard in Ireland after he’d unseated his jockey in a point-to-point.
“It’s been a beautiful journey ever since,” says Tom with a smile.
Champion jockey Richard Johnson rode Native River in most of his races, and Jazmin Hosgood, who used to work for Tom, partners him in the show ring.
Jazmin, who trains point-to-pointers at home and had two maiden winners last season, took the horse hunting after he retired from the track, before starting showing.
Overland Flyer
Thirteen-year-old Overland Flyer won just under £20,000 during his racing days.
Amateur rider Isobelle Seery has owned Overland Flyer, who won just under £20,000 during his racing days, for three years.
She acquired him via the Middleton Hunt in North Yorkshire and they have done a lot of hunting and dressage together.
Rich Man Poor Man
Owned by Morean Hamilton and ridden by Kirstine Douglas, Rich Man Poor Man was in training with Philip Kirby in North Yorkshire. He ran several times over hurdles and finished his racing career unplaced as a four-year-old.
Kirstine has produced the horse for the show ring slowly, allowing him plenty of time to adapt to his new routine.
To date he has won at the Great Yorkshire Show twice, was overall supreme hunter at the Royal Highland Show, and has also been the Scottish Tattersalls Champion twice.
Robin Roe
This 13-year-old bay gelding successfully competed in eventing and showjumping with owner/rider Madeleine Cantrill until a freak accident put paid to his jumping efforts two years ago.
After a year off, Robin Roe returned to work in the summer of 2023 and Madeleine started showing him.
Robin was in training with Dan Skelton, son of showjumping star and 2016 individual Olympic champion Nick Skelton.
Madeleine’s father is a former jockey and trainer, while her grandparents were big Thoroughbred fans. Madeleine thinks this love for them has passed down to her.
Wonga Swinger
This 14-year-old bay gelding was in training with owner Tori Thomas’s husband, the former gold cup-winning jockey Sam Thomas, and he won and was placed over fences.
Since retiring from the track and transferring to the show ring, Wonga and Tori, who recently had her first child, a daughter, have been hacking, eventing and showing.
They won the retrained racehorse class at Royal Windsor Horse Show in May.
“Wonga Swinger never really enjoyed his racing although he was a great jumper,” says Tori, who will ride him at HOYS this week.
About the SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse series
SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse is open to thoroughbreds that have raced, successfully or otherwise. The championship format is as for a riding horse class, but the best of type will win.
The class is open to amateur and professional riders, and a total of eight qualifiers take place around the UK during the summer.
As part of the celebrations for HOYS’ 75th Birthday, this year several top judges from Australia and South Africa have been invited to judge. Who will judge each class has not been released in advance of the show.
The winner of the SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse final goes forward to the Supreme Ridden Horse Championship on Sunday.
