Just saw a nice story on TV. A cop who cracked after years on the force, and a TB mare who says has saved him. She was among a mob of horses abandoned in south NSW and left to starve. Racing NSW rescued them, he went into the equine program, and ended up adopting her. He credits her with keeping him sane and alive.
During last week’s well documented Warrnambool Cup Carnival, we took
the opportunity to visit High Bridge, a past Flemington winner and now a
member of our Equine Welfare Program.
High Bridge, aka ‘Harry’, has become a much-loved addition to the
Lenehan family after being rehomed to their Garvoc property following
his retirement at the beginning of last year.
“We adore him; he is a kind boy and is very tolerant when it comes to
learning new things. We couldn’t be more grateful that he ended up
here.” said new owner Kristen Lenehan.
Renowned for his gentle yet professional temperament, the
long-striding 10-year-old has taken to his newfound role as a showjumper
incredibly well. Kristen’s daughter Charlotte has already formed a
profound connection with ‘Harry’, where mutual trust has started the
foundation of a lovely friendship.
“It was heartwarming to see the bond between High Bridge, now known
as Harry and Charlotte. He is clearly in a great home and enjoying his
life beyond racing,” said Terry Henderson.
In their short time shared on the showjumping scene, Charlotte and
Harry have worked hand in hand to learn their craft, with their efforts
quickly leading to success in local pony club competitions.
We were lucky enough to capture a glimpse of the duo’s impressive
morning routine during last week’s visit, which we hope you enjoy
viewing in the clip below!
Nice, steady going fellow. They should all be so lucky
“Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity? Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined”
Saint Are, the "unbelievably good-looking" chaser who was placed in two Grand Nationals, has died at the age of 15.
The Aintree specialist was retired
after being brought down in the National in 2018 and was making a
success of a second career in the show ring.
He had qualified for the prestigious
final of the Tattersalls Retraining of Racehorses Show Series at
Hickstead but died on Saturday of a heart attack while out doing gentle,
routine exercise.
"It was sad news when I got the call," said George, who trained the
horse to finish second in the 2015 National and third in 2017. "He was a
great horse for us in the yard and we were very attached to him.
Isaac Adams's mental health journey since leaving the
Australian Defence Force has been slow, but eight years on he's at ease
with his experiences and found a way to help other veterans cope after
service.
The 32-year-old from Ipswich joined the army in 2008 at 18 years of age.
He served for five years as a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) operator and in that time was deployed to Afghanistan.
He
voluntarily discharged in 2013 but upon leaving struggled to process
what he had been through and found it difficult to integrate back into
civilian life.
He also found he was not alone.
"I found it very hard to just go outside some days. I really was quite depressed," Mr Adams said.
Mr Adams was
seeing a psychologist and trying different mental health therapies, but
said it was only when he started working with horses that he began to
cope.
In 2016 he found horsemanship and it changed his life.
"Now
… It's really nice to be able to go to university and have my life, and
be free of all those sort of heavy feelings and sadness and anger that I
used to carry around."
Links between horsemanship and psychology
Mr
Adams was living in Sydney and searching for alternative mental health
therapies when he saw a video of someone working with an ex-racehorse in
a way he had never seen before.
He bought a horse
that was destined for the knackery and was put in touch with trainer
Scott Brodie, who taught him horsemanship.
It takes a wise man a lifetime to grow a tree and a fool five minutes to kill one.
Recent studies conducted by the Institute of Heart-Math provide a clue to explain the two-way ?? healing ?? that occurs when we're close to horses. According to researchers, the heart has an electromagnetic field larger than the brain: a magnetometer can measure the energy field of the heart that radiates from 2.4 meters to 3 meters around the human body. While this is certainly significant, perhaps more impressive than the electromagnetic field projected by the heart of a horse is five times larger than that of a human being (imagine an electromagnetic sphere around the horse) and it can influence straight into our own heart rate.
Horses are also likely to have what science has identified as a ?? coherent ?? heart rate (heart rate pattern) that explains why we can ?? feel better ?? when we're close to them. Studies have found a coherent heart pattern or HRV to be a solid measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy-that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.
A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adapt to stressful situations very efficiently. Many times, we just need to be in the presence of horses to feel a sense of well-being and peace. In fact, research shows that people experience many physiological benefits by interacting with horses, including lower blood pressure and heart rate, higher beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters acting as pain suppressors), decreased stress levels, decreased feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, better social working; and greater feelings of empowerment, confidence, patience and self-efficacy ".
Pintura author: Svatava Hueberová
It takes a wise man a lifetime to grow a tree and a fool five minutes to kill one.
Back
in 2004 there was a remarkable three year-old gelding called Grand Zulu
(Grand Lodge (USA) x Bravo Zulu) , who upstaged his elders to win the
Group I STC The BMW (2400m) beating legends Mummify and Makybe Diva and
at age 21, he’s still a winner taking out both divisions of Thoroughbred
Sport Horse Jumping classes on Sunday at SIEC.
Trained throughout his racing career by Gwenda Markwell, Grand Zulu was a
tough and talented stayer that raced 37 times for four wins and eight
placings with earnings topping $1.8million.
Bred and raced by Dennis Choy, his career included an interlude of
racing in Hong Kong where he contested both the Hong Kong Derby and HK
International Mile before returning to race with success again in
Australia.
Retired sound from racing in 2008, Grand Zulu has made a very successful
transition into being an equestrian horse and with his current partner
young William Hodgekiss is enjoying a last flush of success in his
twilight years under the coaching of renowned horseman Simon Kale.
Grand Zulu has formed a great partnership with William Hodgekiss.
He has placed at the Australian Showjumping Championships, been an
Interschool Champion and took 13yo William to the Sydney Royal
representing Zone 28 Pony Club Association of NSW Inc in the Pony Club
rider classes.
At 21 years of age he is still going strong and it looks like Grand Zulu
and his talented young rider William still have plenty of adventures
ahead of them!
It takes a wise man a lifetime to grow a tree and a fool five minutes to kill one.
A group of retired racehorses have played a starring
role in Mansfield’s Australia Day celebrations, led by legendary High
Country horseman Charlie Lovick.
Lovick is part of generations of
iconic Victorian mountain cattlemen stretching back to 1860 in the
region and is himself well-known for his role as the Master Of Horse for
both The Man from Snowy River feature films.
After decades
mustering cattle and running trail rides in the area, the 72-year-old
has his heart firmly set on a different challenge, giving retired
racehorses a new purpose following their racing careers.
Lovick is
hoping to rehome and retrain up to 200 thoroughbreds a year on his
200-acre Merrijig property and eight horses he already has in his care
headed along to the local Mansfield Australia Day celebrations on
Wednesday to be a part of the event’s flag ceremony.
“We presented
the Australian, the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait Island flags to
the council for the Australia Day presentation,” Lovick said.
“It’s always very special to be a part of and present the horses to the crowd.”
Having
ridden his first horse before he could even walk, Lovick is adamant the
connection between horse and human is a crucial part of retraining
racehorses once they retire.
“If I’m anything it’s because of a
horse. I’m in a position at my age where I can give it back and I’ve got
a bit of expertise about it and I’m determined to give as many
thoroughbreds a nice productive life after racing.
“I think it’s
important to be patient with the process, it can take months or even
years to retrain a thoroughbred both mentally and physically after their
racetrack careers.
“They need to learn to be a
normal horse again and even learn things like the etiquette of running
in a group. It can also take months to put the muscle on them too to be
able to excel at bush work.
“I really want to show people that they can be just as good in the bush as they are on the track.
“And
I’m not just talking about putting them to work in the country, but if
these steps are taken they can be fantastic companion horses for young
riders and I think horses can really excel and have the best part of
their lives when they can build that strong relationship with a person.
“We’re
lucky enough to have the facilities here to be able to take the time to
help as many as we can and hopefully this model can be used as a
template for others wanting to rehome thoroughbreds across Australia.
“They’re
really a magnificent animal, even at the Australia Day celebrations you
could see people captivated by their presence and I’m just hoping to be
able to give back to these horses that have meant so much to me and my
family over the years.”
It takes a wise man a lifetime to grow a tree and a fool five minutes to kill one.
I knew his father, Jack, and was lucky enough to ride some of the high country with him. Jack got an Aust Day award,,,Order of Australia or one of those, for high country search and rescue. He was still riding the mountains at over 70 , with 2 artificial hips. Will never forget the day he took me down the Devil,s Staircase. I must have been as nuts as he was, to follow him. Would never do it today.
Who better to take the OTT’s under his wing, master horseman. He will turn out some terrific mounts and place them appropriately. Racing Victoria should be allocating plenty of money and horses his way, funded by our welfare payment each time a horse races. Apart from their extreme wealth anyway.
Most of the horses re educated by such a talented horseman will go on to lead happy fruitful lives.
Unlike the poor buggers standing around at the current horse sales and abattoirs, it frustrates me that after care provisos aren’t mandatory for racehorses. They are still young when they retire, and that’s the 8 yr olds! Grrrr
“Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity? Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined”
The
oldest horse at Widden Stud passed away last week leaving tears and
fond memories for all who shared his life and his story is so worth
telling.
He never won a stakes race and he had no fancy breeding, but Kiwi
bred gelding Saint Dragon Hill played a key role in the lives of many
horses that did as a nanny at Widden Stud.
Dragon and Terri Chan at Widden.
Dragon arrived at the farm in 2010 as a spritely 22 year-old and gave
service in retirement for another 12 years before his passing last week
at age 34, but as Matt Comerford explained, this was no ordinary horse.
“He wasn’t just a paddock ornament we looked after, he was the best
nanny we ever had and every good horse we sold or raised off the farm
during his time here would have in some way been in the care of Dragon,”
Comerford explained.
“His owner Terri Chan loved Dragon and would travel from Hong Kong
and visit him twice a year every year (apart from the last couple with
Covid).
“She would sit in the paddock and feed him carrots and would literally spend all her holidays in Australia with Dragon.”
So what sort of horse inspires this kind of love and devotion? Terri Chan takes up the story.
Saint Dragon Hill with the baldy face raced in Hong Kong for seven seasons retiring as a 10 YO.
Dragon came to Hong Kong from New Zealand as a subscription griffin
in 1991, purchased by a famous traditional Chinese doctor, Chung-Wai
Leung. He proved sound and reliable, competing over seven seasons up
until 1998 and won four races and placed 12 times from 41 starts.
At age 10, he retired from racing and as often happens with horses in
Hong Kong that aren’t exported to their country of origin, he became a
school horse at a leisure riding centre run by the Hong Kong Jockey
Club.
“I met Dragon in 2003 and he was a school horse for beginners like me,” said Terri Chan.
“When I first learned to ride him, he would instantly recognize I was
just a beginner and would stand in the paddock quietly, but day by day
we built a relationship.
“I found that he was good and calm in the stable, so I always stayed
inside his box and looked out from the window with him together and I
always bring many, many carrots to him as snack.
“All the instructors, riders and grooms know that I call him “my son”
and they also call me “Dragon’s mom” or “carrot monster”… and so I
became his livery owner at the stables.”
Dragon and Terri at the riding school.
Dragon learned new skills at the riding school and jumped low level
competitions successfully for years before his aches and pains started
to get the better of him.
“When ridden by an experienced rider he jumped up to 90cm, but only
70cm when I was riding him and he often won prizes,” Terri Chan
recalled.
“He had some back and foot pains that brought about his retirement
from racing and I would arrange Equine Massage, called Cranio Sacral
Therapy, for him on a weekly basis which he enjoyed a lot.”
By 2009, Dragon’s back problem had worsened and Terri Chan decided
her horse needed a better life so she sought permission to find an
export retirement option for him.
She found help through Adrian Chow, who is now an assistant trainer
in Hong Kong, but was previously the groom of Dragon when he was in the
riding school. Adrian introduced his bloodstock agent friend, Dennis
Loh to Terri and he suggested Widden Stud as the solution to her quest
to find the perfect home for Dragon.
“I lodged the application for his retirement and thought surely the
Hong Kong Jockey Club could not refuse when he was going to such a
reputable stud as Widden, but at that time I didn’t know anything about
Widden, I just had to believe in Adrian and Dennis,” Terri revealed.
After 10 years at the riding school, Dragon entered quarantine in
preparation for his flight to Australia and in March 2010, Terri
received a message that Dragon had arrived safely at Widden Stud.
Terri immediately booked her flight to Australia to visit Dragon, but
had no idea what to expect and had feared he may escape from a paddock
given his 20 previous years of life living in a stable in a city
environment.
“I went to visit him at Easter and it was my first trip to
Australia,” said Terri, who bounded off the plane and drove straight to
Denman.
“I passed many farms and studs and saw horses and cows everywhere and
finally arrived at Widden… and there he was in a large paddock.
“Then the staff at Widden welcome me and tell me this is only the
arrival yard and Dragon will move to an even larger paddock and I just
can’t believe it!
“He was cantering on the grass and I had never seen him so free and happy.”
Dragon and his babies!
Terri returned to Hong Kong, but was back again in August for a
second visit to Widden Stud, ”This time the staff told me Dragon is now a
nanny and lives with 11 baby horses!
“When I saw him running with the baby horses, I was so very happy
that it made me cry. The yearling manager told me Dragon behaved very,
very well as he never kicked the babies. I was a little surprised as he
did not get along very well with other horses when he was in Hong Kong.
“This was the start of Dragon’s 12-years long nanny life at Widden and his back and leg problem all went away.”
Terri visited Dragon at Widden more than 20 times over the years up
until 2020 and every visit was treasured time with her much loved â€son’,
“I was so impressed by the nice and experienced staff and of course the
good weather and environment.
“I understand now that Dragon would never escape as his life at
Widden was so good! Every visit, I bought carrots from Denman or Scone
for him, but he actually enjoyed the food at Widden more.
“Grain is too expensive for the riding school in Hong Kong, but
Dragon ate it every day at Widden and he loved the grass. In Hong Kong,
the only time horses are fed grass is when they are sick, so it made me
so happy to see him eating all the foods he loved best.”
RIP Dragon 1988 - 2022, a life well lived.
Dragon has been a life changing horse for Terri Chan, ”Dragon was my
son and he shared all my happiest and saddest times, just like a family
member and all my friends and colleagues know Dragon.
“In Hong Kong, horses are so expensive and untouchable. Unlike
Australia, no one owns a horse at home and most of the Hong Kong people
can only watch horses on TV when they are racing. Being the owner of a
horse, especially Dragon who lived at such a famous stud…. It makes me
feel so good!
“Unfortunately, due to Covid and the strict quarantine policy in Hong
Kong, I could not visit Dragon during this time and my last visit was
January 2020, but Widden have always kept me informed of his news and I
know he has been very, very happy at Widden.
“I am so happy to share my experience with you. Although sad, I know I
will meet Dragon in the rainbow one day…. Dragon has done great!”
It takes a wise man a lifetime to grow a tree and a fool five minutes to kill one.
All Roads Lead to Stonewall Equestrian for TSHA Australian Titles
Tara Madgwick - Monday November 14
The inaugural Thoroughbred Sport Horse Australian Titles will be held at Stonewall Equestrian this Friday 18th, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th
with a full schedule of showjumping, show horse classes and dressage,
plus the Maiden Teams Challenge to showcase eight teams of three riders
with Breednet proud to sponsor one of them.
The Maiden Teams Challenge to be held on Saturday is designed to
feature thoroughbreds jumping in lower level classes with the 90cm
height range making it an achievable dream for so many horses and
riders.
There are eight teams competing for sponsors: Breednet, Godolphin
Lifetime Care, Peachester Lodge, Parrakoola Park, OTI Racing and
Bloodstock, Thoroughbred Breeders NSW, Inglis and Stonewall Equestrian.
Representing Team Breednet are three terrific young girl riders from
the South Coast in Aria Baker, Faith Banks and Lily- Rose Baxter with
some stunning pictures below from last weekend at Nowra courtesy of Elegant Exposures..
Aria Baker on Solloway, a 5YO mare by Spill the Beans - image Elegant Exposures
Lily-Rose Baxter and Marco, a 6YO gelding by Choisir - image Elegant Exposures
Faith Banks on Mudgee Road, a 9YO gelding by Husson (Arg) - image Elegant Exposures
All were turning up this past weekend at the Nowra Spring Cup
Showjumping event and will head to Stonewall in great form under the
guidance of Team Priestley, the renowned South Coast showjumping
enterprise run by Kel and Kareena Priestley and their daughter Jamie.
We wish them all the best of luck!
It takes a wise man a lifetime to grow a tree and a fool five minutes to kill one.
Today I was invited to Co-judge the Thoroughbred off the track hack finals at Bangalow show, it was not well attended but the quality was there, these ladies and gents have done a fantastic job of educating these lovely horses, it was a pleasure to be there.
Good on you Gaj , was thinking the latest water deluge would have you on a bit of a downer , stay strong mate and keep your thoughts healthy , Bol with your neddy .
Seen them at a few of our local shows too. Lovely horses but not many of them. More input from the state racing authorities, spend some of that owners stipend on advertising and prize money
“Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity? Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined”
Seen them at a few of our local shows too. Lovely horses but not many of them. More input from the state racing authorities, spend some of that owners stipend on advertising and prize money
Somewhere I read a bit about a big show taking place, on NSW Central Coast I think, for OTTers. Apparently sponsored by Singleton and may be near or at his place. Cant for the life of me think where I saw it tho, or the details. Looked interesting .
The Thoroughbred Sport Horse Association National Titles at Stonewall Equestrian showcases the versatility and adaptability of the Thoroughbred. How good to see these horses have a second career after racing and having fun while at it!
Australia’s first
independent website for Off the Track Horses, www.offthetrackhorses.com.au,
has been launched.
The brainchild of respected racing
and equestrian journalist Jo McKinnon, herself a keen
equestrian who has trained and successfully competed with
thoroughbreds since she was a teenager, Off the Track Horses
aims to build awareness about life after racing.
It will feature
news and stories plus a dedicated off-the-track event
schedule and coverage of the increasing number of shows and
competitions across various disciplines that now take place
around Australia for retired thoroughbreds.
Another innovative
feature of the site will be a dedicated marketplace for
people wanting to buy or sell an off-the-track thoroughbred.
“The aim of www.offthetrackhorses.com.au
is to become a go-to hub for all things off the track which
the equestrian community and horse racing industry’s been
needing for a long time. Everything is centralized and
importantly with a national focus.”
“The site will
serve to promote and enhance all the great work that is
being done by the state racing authorities in the welfare
and off-the-track space, said Ms. McKinnon.
Expert trainers,
veterinarians, and respected and accredited people working
with thoroughbreds at the coal face will also feature on the
site with tips, stories, and videos and there will also be a
podcast series.
“There are so many
wonderful stories to be told about what retired racehorses
are doing whether it be as companion horses, trail mounts,
elite performers in the show ring, show jumpers, or therapy
horses.”
“And there are some
incredibly passionate people working and living with these
horses that are only too happy to share their experience and
insights to help more thoroughbreds successfully make the
transition to a happy and meaningful life after racing,” she
said.
New Stars Equimillion Results – Who are These Horses?
Tara Madgwick - Thursday October 10
The New Stars classes at Equimillion this year were a fresh innovation designed to showcase the next wave of equestrian horses emerging from the racetrack and to be eligible the contenders needed an official retirement date with Racing Australia that was within 12 months of the show, so who were the 112 horses and riders that rose to the challenge.
A challenge it surely is with the time frame being tight given the retraining of racehorses to the elite level at any discipline is a process counted in years rather than months.
Winner of the New Stars Led Thoroughbred class was 6YO Your Song gelding High Class, registered as Your Serve - image Facebook
Unlike the business of racing which is basically harnessing a horse’s natural flight response to gallop, learning to perform a different range of ridden tasks for the competition arena is complex and requires the horse to use his brain every bit as much as his body. All the cues and signals from the rider as to what is required and when have to be learned, remembered and reproduced when there may be any manner of distractions at play.
For that reason, everyone that got a horse to compete in these classes deserves an award, but we’ve gone through and pulled out the Top 5 for each discipline.
Eventing EVA 80cm - 22 in the class
Young Scone horseman Charlie Richardson was one of the favourites to win this class on the former Annabel Neasham trained $11million earner Zaaki (GB), however the multiple G1 winner didn’t make it to the show after sustaining a pesky paddock injury, not that it mattered.
Charlie won on his other entry VH Wingman, who is by Pride of Dubai, the same sire as our newly crowned Australian Horse of the Year Pride of Jenni.
Rider
Horse
Breeding
Racetrack
1
Charlie Richardson
VH Wingman
(Ballet Pride)
5g Pride of Dubai x Ballet Society
17 starts for 1 win
2
Jessica Grossman
Duchy of Cornwall
5g Hallowed Crown x Zutara
11 starts for 1 win
3
Sophie Fox
I Am Richenuff
6g Rich Enuff x Glory Be
19 starts for 3 wins
4
Skye McCullough
Frosted Dash
5g Frosted (USA) x Dosh Dash
16 starts for 2 thirds
5
Jess Somerfield
Advantage Point
5g Fozwedge x Advantage Receiver
1 start
Showjumping 80cm – 35 in the class
The world’s fastest horse when he was racing, Nature Strip jumped beautifully for his new owner Kathy O’Hara to finish 12th overall in a very competitive class, while his sprint rival Lost and Running was also making new fans in the jump arena with Aria Baker on board to also finish in the Top 20.
Rider
Horse
Breeding
Racetrack
1
Alison Ostenfeld
Optimizzer
8g Not a Single Doubt x Twizzler
40 starts for 4 wins
2
Zachary Thorne
Mighty Willie
6g American Pharoah (USA)
17 starts for 3 wins
3
Tinky Konechny
Hot n Handsome
(Tutelage)
8g Medaglia D’Oro (USA) x Harpers
39 starts for 8 wins
4
Charlie Richardson
Saturn Star
5g Zoustar x Saturn Rock
6 starts for 1 win
5
Carla Gerigk
Imposing Star
4g Zoustar x Imposing Lass
2 starts
Dressage –30 in the class
Rider
Horse
Breeding
Racetrack
1
Hazel Shannon
Just a Nickel AMC (Sizzle Nickel)
5m Sizzling x Del Lirio
8 starts
2
Sarah Farraway
Fireman
6g The Factor (USA) x Siren
21 starts for 1 win
3
Nicky Lyle
Birrie Hill
(Birriecart)
6g Husson (Arg) x Nivali
11 starts for 5 wins $233,800
4
Rebecca Dunn
Iama Princess
5m Super One x Mallaco Princess
7 starts
5
Leeann Olsen
Pantsman
4g Showtime x She Loves You
11 starts
Led Showhorse – 18 in the class
Rider
Horse
Breeding
Racetrack
1
Cassandra Schmidt
High Class
(Your Serve)
6g Your Song x Advantage Receiver
Unraced
2
Annika Kunert
Wicklow (IRE)
7g Twilight Son x Wake Up
SW - 24 starts for 6 wins inc Wagga Cup and $555,000
3
Jess Martin
Major Murphy
7g Press Statement x Night War
40 starts for 3 wins
4
Mandy Hamilton
Special Reward
9g Demerit x Special Kiseki
G3 winner- 34 starts for 10 wins and $1.3million
5
Paul Warhurst
Different Strokes
7g Hinchinbrook x Khepri
16 starts for 3 wins
Ridden Showhorse – 7 in the class
Rider
Horse
Breeding
Racetrack
1
Joshua Clarke
SLM Styles
(Steel Gaze)
5g Pierro x Gaze
7 starts
2
Adam Oliver
Hades
(Atheism)
4g Shalaa (IRE) x Sense and Reason
3 starts
3
Leanne Bordin
Harrison LD
(Apataki)
6g Darci Brahma x Polynesia
15 starts for 2 wins
4
Abbey Lonsdale
Costa Maya
9m High Chaparral (IRE) x Kesari
55 starts for 3 wins
5
Isabella Tyson
Scallopini
10g Snitzel x Rose of Mulan
G3 winner – 45 starts for 13 wins and $1.1million
It takes a wise man a lifetime to grow a tree and a fool five minutes to kill one.
Scallopini was a grand racehorse in Qld and ventured south a few times too. Nice to see him retired and with a new life.
“Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity? Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined”
Gilded Prince might not quite be the household name that Mr Brightside is but, like the 10-time Group 1 winner, he was basking in the glory of being crowned a champion on Saturday.
The Americain gelding, who was winless during an inglorious six-start career for trainer Udyta Clarke, won the MyRacehorse Combined Training 105cm class on the opening day of Racing Victoria's Off the Track Carnival at Boneo Park.
He was crowned the Grand Champion in the Combined Training discipline, which blends dressage and show jumping, delivering his young rider Imogen Bergin a $6000 pay day that far eclipsed anything he earned on the track.
"It's nice to be able to showcase their life after racing and see all the other wonderful horses that are here," 18-year-old Bergin said.
"Some of them, like him, just aren't suited to racing so it's nice that they can pick up something else.
"He much prefers eventing over racing. He likes the jumping, that's for sure and he's really nice on the flat as well."
Olympian Amanda Ross won the Combined Training 95cm class on her ex-racehorse Valkyon, while racing industry identity Mariah Kaminski won the premier Dressage class on her ex-racehorse Linton Street.
G1 winner and Everest placegetter Eduardo competed in the Preliminary Dressage and will return to the arena on Sunday to compete in show jumping.
Other G1 winners in action include Godolphin pin-up Hartnell and Melbourne Cup hero Twilight Payment.
It takes a wise man a lifetime to grow a tree and a fool five minutes to kill one.
Absolute beauty is Eduardo AA. By far the best Excelebration in Australia. Our filly Times Change was by him. But she was just a kind, very pretty pussycat. Gentle as a lamb, and very happy being a teenage girls best friend. Great allrounder though.
“Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity? Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined”
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