Second Lifers - OTTB Advice From An Expert Panel

The Retraining Of Racehorses Class Winner At Barbury Castle Horse Trials 2010

ROR Expert Panel

I'm not seriously considering taking on an ex-racehorse as my next event horse, but the ROR (Retraining Of Racehorses) seminar I attended this evening on that very subject was very interesting nevertheless.

ROR is British Horseracing's very serious and credible charitable initiative aimed at providing viable second careers for "Off The Track Thoroughbreds" and has been running a range of activities to this end for a little over 12 years now. Tonight's talk was all about the things you need to consider when taking on a an ex-racehorse for a second career.

The Nick Turner Interview | Team Coaching & The Brazilian Job

Nick Turner | Brazilian Team Coach

I became 'acutely' aware of Nick Turner a year or so ago. For those of you who don't know him, Nick is the Eventing Team Coach for Brazil (I know, dream job - sun, sea & sand!), he's also on the UK panel of selectors for eventing, has a string of letters after his name that leaves you in no doubt about his credentials as an equestrian coach, and has been round Badminton & Burghley on horses he has produced, so he knows a thing or two about talent.

GBR Team Selections for WEG 2010 Raises A Few Eyebrows

Yogi Breisner

Hunting around the web there certainly seems to be a lot of questions over the selection of Piggy French's horse JAKATA for the WEG 2010 GBR team. This horse doesn't have the solid form you'd expect to see for team selection. However Piggy has only had this horse for half a season, and had numerous top five placings on him, including a 3rd at Bramham CCI*** so the horse's previous form, that includes some failed attempts at 4* with previous riders, could be looked upon as 'good experience'.

Personally I think Piggy is one of those up and coming riders that just needs a top class horse to match the results of other olympians based here in the UK, I hope she's found it in this horse. I still can't get used to all these bizarre girl's names in this sport though  (more on that in another post).

So this leaves the 2010 WEG team looking like this:

Travelling Team:
William Fox-Pitt with COOL MOUNTAIN
Tina Cook with MINER'S FROLIC
Mary King with IMPERIAL CAVALIER
Pippa Funnel with REDESIGNED
Piggy French with JAKATA
Nicola Wilson with OPPOSITION BUZZ

Non Traveling Reserves:
Daisy Berkeley (SPRING ALONG)
Sharon Hunt (TANKERS TOWN)
Lucy Weigersma (WOODFALL INDIGO JONES)
Oliver Townend (ASHDALE CRUISE MASTER)


It is a little surprising to see Spring Along (3rd at Badminton 2010) and Tankers Town (winner at Luhmuhlen 2010) sat on the subs bench, both of whom have played a part in team competition before but  who knows what goes through the selector's minds! A lot can change over the next few months and there's plenty of 'politiking' to come......