Old legs prove that they still have several furlongs left in them

TWO Yorkshire riders have been celebrating success with their ex-racehorses.

Lizzie Richmond, from Ripon and Charlotte Wilson, from Snainton, both received national awards at the Breeders Dinner and awards ceremony in London.

Lizzie won the SEIB and Retraining of Racehorses’ Elite Performance award for showing with her own and Freda Johnson’s Treat Em Mean. Charlotte took the runner-up award with her ex-racehorse Elverys in the Elite Performance award for dressage.

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Lizzie and Treat Em Mean had a very successful showing season, culminating in winning the Tattersalls Thoroughbred Show Horse Championship at Hickstead. Treat Em Mean was bred by Sally Hall from Middleham and went on to be trained by Carl Llewellyn, running three times.

Lizzie, who works with her father, Peter, producing show horses, bought Treat Em Mean in 2010 after seeing him at a dressage show at the Yorkshire Riding Centre. At Ryedale, the first show Lizzie took him to, he won the racehorse class and so qualified for the 2011 Hickstead Championship.

“We had only had him in the yard for about three weeks and he went straight out and qualified,” said Lizzie. “He has gone on to do so well for us. He not only won the Hickstead Championship, he was also champion racehorse at the Hambleton Show and he won the £1,000 racehorse championship at the Aintree Championship show.”

Lizzie is now planning to aim Treat Em Mean at the SEIB and RoR Racehorse to Riding Horse Championship at the Horse of the Year Show this year, as well as competing in some riding horse classes. Treat Em Mean also won his first Novice dressage test recently.

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Elverys was trained in Malton by Richard Fahey. He ran several times over hurdles and fences but it was discovered he was breaking blood vessels when racing so he was retired.

Charlotte is a partner in her family’s business, the Snainton Riding Centre, and she was given the horse three years ago by Richard to retrain for dressage. “Richard was fond of Elverys and so wanted a good home for him,” said Charlotte. “I’ve had him for three years and he has progressed quickly. In 2010 we did some dressage and he qualified for the regionals but the atmosphere there was a bit much for him.”

He went on to perform consistently at Elementary level and progressed to Medium. Charlotte plans to compete him at Advanced Medium and Advanced level.

Another success for Charlotte and Elverys was winning the the RoR Elementary Championship at Vale View Equestrian Centre.

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Students from the Cathedral Academy of Performing Arts in Wakefield added their talents to an equestrian fashion show organised by Ackworth and District Riding Club.

The show featured a range of clothing supplied by Iron Horse Equestrian of Moss near Doncaster. It raised more than £500 in aid of Cancer Research.

Before Christmas a number of club members took part in Horsemen’s Sunday, an annual gathering which is held at Berrill Farm, East Hardwick, the home of Mrs. Freda Walker.

The event was started some years ago by Mrs. Walker’s late husband, Wilf, who was president of Ackworth and District Riding Club.

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He organised carol singing on horseback which became an annual blessing of horses ceremony, or Horsemen’s Sunday. It is now organised by Alison Harris, a founder member of the club and the Rev Shelagh Stacey, vicar of Carleton and East Hardwick. It raised £274 in aid of the Brooke equine charity.

Some of our leading riders and horses are leaving the British winter behind and heading to sunny Florida in preparation for the Olympics, competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington which runs until the end of March.

Will Connell, British Showjumping’s performance director, said: “It is an ideal chance to start the fine-tuning of horses prior to the start of the FEI Nations Cup series in May.”

Leading the British squad in Florida is Nick Skelton, who is already off to a flying start.

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On Sunday he won the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic riding Unique XV111 and on Saturday, also with this horse, he was placed second in the $30,000 Surpass Grand Prix.

Skelton will also be competing on the Widdowson’s European individual bronze medallist, Carlo, along with Unique XV111 and Belmont. Scott Brash has his seasoned campaigners, Intertoy Z, Whisky Mac and Bon Ami as well as his new ride, Sanctos.

Joining them are Tina Fletcher, David McPherson, Gemma Paternoster, Scott Smith and Ben Maher.

The newest venue on the three day eventing calendar, Balcarres International Horse Trials, has just launched its website, www.balcarreshorsetrials.com.

The event, in Fife, will run from June 14-17, and is organised by James Oakden and his team from Central Scotland Horse Trials.

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