Smart move enables Chivola to get back on winning track

At the Breeders' Dinner awards in London at the weekend, she was presented with the South Essex Insurance Brokers (SEIB) and Retraining of Racehorses (ROR) Elite Performance award for showing with Chivola.

Vicky had a very successful showing season with this horse last year, culminating in winning the Tattersalls and ROR Thoroughbred Show Horse Championship at Hickstead. Chivola also won the new Retrained Racehorse class at the Great Yorkshire Show.

The horse was originally in training with Vicky's husband, Bryan, at their Hambleton racing yard in North Yorkshire.

Chivola ran 11 times on the Flat and had one win but he looked unlikely to be top class.

The owner decided to give him to the couple's 12-year-old daughter Beth and Vicky took on the ride until she is older.

"As a horse, he's very correct in his confirmation and we knew he could be successful at something else," said Vicky, who adds that Chivola is "a dream to ride."

Her aim is not only to compete in classes specifically for ex-racehorses but to move on to show hack classes well.

Chivola has already qualified for Hickstead next year and she hopes to qualify him for the small hack and the racehorse class at the Horse of the Year Show.

"We're aiming for the top," says Vicky. Her 2,500 prize for winning the Elite Performance award will go towards the cost of competing and towards training.

Vicky is trained by Sue Ritchie, who is based near Middlesbrough.

The Performance Awards were instigated by the SEIB in order to support the retraining of the thousands of racehorses which come out of training every year.

"This year's competition has shown yet again the versatility and resilience of the thoroughbred," said Nicolina Mackenzie, of the SEIB.

Retraining racehorses has become something of a passion for Vicky in the past few years, beginning with a horse called Differential.

After nursing the horse back to health, Vicky began to retrain and then compete on him.

Differential, Chivola and another horse, Roger's Revenge, have all competed at the Horse of the Year Show.

Roger's Revenge was placed third at HOYS last year, ridden by Oliver Hood and is back with the Smarts.

"Ultimately I want him to go into worker classes," said Vicky. "Chivola has had three months off and I've just started riding him again this week. Then I'll be going to do some dressage competitions with them both."

She is an equine physiotherapist and recently completed a course in veterinary homeopathy. She uses both these skills on the horses at the yard.

The world of showing certainly seems to be making its mark on life at Hambleton House and there looks to be a busy year ahead.

TICKETS are now on sale for the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials to be held from September 8 to 11. Early bookers can save up to 30 per cent on gate prices.

The event involves two days of dressage followed by two days of cross-country on the Saturday and Sunday.

Organisers say that in order to remain competitive, they have reviewed their prices and simplified the range of tickets and the booking process.

They will also be offering free admission only tickets for accompanied children aged 12 and under.

Ticket prices start at 8 for admission on dressage days.

For more information and to book, go to www.blenheim-horse.co.uk.

AMANDA RATCLIFFE, from Salisbury, has been elected chairman of the board of British Eventing.

A former event rider and busineswoman, she also recently completed a degree in psychology and philosophy. She competed in eventing for 15 years, from BE90 level up to CCI four-star competitions.