Capturing Rachel’s heart on her big day

THE guest of honour at Rachel Mordey’s wedding last summer was a former racehorse called Inca.

“I couldn’t let such a special day pass without my best friend being there to share it,” said Rachel, who has entered Inca for the charity Retraining of Racehorses Heart Awards.

“When my first marriage broke down I don’t know how I would have coped without him. When I was at my lowest ebb he saw me through some of my darkest days,” added Rachel, now happily married to Neil. The wedding was at a country house hotel and once the ceremony was over, the first thing the couple did was go outside to see Inca and have some pictures taken with him.

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Rachel has owned Inca (full name Alconleigh) for six years. She had a horse on loan and was looking for one to buy. When Inca came to the same stables at Outlane, Huddersfield for some schooling she was told he was for sale. “I took him out for a hack and the rest is history,” said Rachel.

Inca began his racing career at Mark Johnston’s yard in Middleham and raced for six years. Rachel’s proudest moment was when he gained his first British Dressage points last year. He has since been diagnosed with navicular disease so is no longer competing but enjoys hacking out and doing some light schooling.

For Rachel, who is a legal adviser at Dewsbury and Huddersfield magistrates’ courts, he will always be a loyal friend. “With Inca around, life’s troubles never seem so bad.”

Also in the final running for the RoR Biggest Heart Award (best temperament) is Rambo, owned by 17-year-old Helen Scott, from Richmond. “He has given me so much confidence and we have both gone from strength to strength,” says Helen, who has owned the horse for four years.

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The bond between them developed after Rambo was injured last year. He got his leg caught in a fence while turned out and the injury meant he was off work for a year, with his leg in splints to begin with.

“I truly believed that this was going to be the end of his career but he proved me wrong,” said Helen. “He came back with a fighting strength. The bond between us took a while but I learned that patience is the key. Now we are inseparable and nothing can tear us apart.”

Rambo, 14, was for sale at the farm in Bedale where Helen keeps another horse. “I think it was his character that appealed to me, he’s cheeky and fun,” she says. They have started eventing, doing BE90 classes and will be competing in their first pre-novice event at Aske horse trials next week.

Says Helen: “He has shown such courage to get over his injury, such stamina and ability to be changed into an amazing eventer and such love and loyalty to stick by me even when times were hard. He really is one in a million.”

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Over 400 nominations from owners of ex-racehorses were received for the four categories in the RoR Heart Awards. A total of 28 horses made it onto the final shortlist. They will also all be eligible for a special award from Jilly Cooper, who will choose her overall favourite.

If you would like to vote go to www.ror.uk and vote before June 30.

COMPETING on home ground, German riders took the top three places at Luhmuhlen. The CCI four-star event was won by Andreas Dibowski. The best of the Brits was Piggy French, who finished in fourth riding Flying Machine.

Oliver Townend was seventh with ODT Master Rose, owned by Yorkshire businessman Stephen Hazeldine, who was delighted with the pair’s cross-country round inside the time, completed in pouring rain. Mary King was eighth with Apache Sauce and William Fox-Pitt seventh, riding Macchiato.

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World’s top two to line up for some extreme driving at Olympia event

THE veteran 27-year-old hunter, Mr Cracker, on loan to Euro MP Godfrey Bloom and owned by Mary Rook, will be heading for Olympia at Christmas and the finals of the Veteran Horse of the Year competition.

Mr Cracker, ridden by Kate Read, qualified for the final at the recent Veteran Horse Society class at Hilton Arena. Godfrey Bloom says he will be out hunting as usual with Mr Cracker before and after Olympia week.

Tickets for the London International Horse Show at Olympia go on sale on Monday.

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New additions this year include an extreme driving competition. The indoor carriage driving will involve speed and accuracy as drivers negotiate a course of cones and obstacles. The world’s top two carriage drivers will be there, Boyd Exel, from Australia, and Ijsbrand Chardon, from the Netherlands. More information at www.olympiahorseshow.com.

EMMA STOKER, 18, from Great Heck, North Yorkshire hopes to be riding two if not three horses at the Horse of the Year Show in October.

Emma has qualified Wilando B, owned by Carron Nichol from the Rumer Stud, for both the Foxhunter final and the Newcomers final at HOYS.

“Emma came second in both classes against a very strong line-up which included Louise Whitaker, Helen Treadwell, Paul Barker and Scott Smith,” said her mother, Sarah.

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Emma also qualified another horse owned by Carron Nichol, Whisper XI, when she won the Newcomers second round at Rowallan Equestrian Centre last weekend.

She hopes to take her own horse, China Blue, to HOYS as well and is aiming to compete in the Young Riders final.

OVER 500 people gathered at Toulston polo ground near Tadcaster to watch the finals of the Ogden of Harrogate Armada Dish and Silver Jubilee Plate competitions.

Teams from all over the country competed. The Armada Dish was won by Summit, who beat Beverley PC, and the Silver Jubilee event was won by Yorkshire team the Leoline Lions, who beat the BDB Music team.

The event raised over £3,000 for the Children’s Society and Help for Heroes.