RoR announces finalists for Inaugural Awards

• Public Vote is now open to determine the winners of each RoR Award
• Finalists’ stories show the varied and rewarding new roles enjoyed by many former racehorses

The finalists for the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) inaugural Sir Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust RoR Community Impact Award and the prestigious The Jockey Club RoR Horse of the Year Award have been announced.

It will be the public who determines the winner of each award by voting for their favourites via the microsite ror-events from today, 18^th December 2023.

Having received over two hundred nominations from across the racing and equestrian worlds, RoR announced a shortlist of 12 horses for each award in November. An independent RoR Judging panel then had the challenge of narrowing down the final three finalists for each award, details of each are below.

Sir Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust RoR Community Impact Award

The new Sir Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust RoR Community Impact Award aims to recognise any individual, former racehorse partnership, or organisation that has significantly impacted people’s lives with a former racehorse. The finalists are:

• New Beginnings and Goldream – Yorkshire
• Matt Bannon and Dreamisi – Greater London
• Godolphin and Papineau – Suffolk

The Jockey Club RoR Horse of the Year Award

Introduced in 2014, the highly coveted The Jockey Club RoR Horse of the Year Award was open to all RoR registered former racehorses who have successfully transitioned from racing to a new career. The finalists are:

• Clancy’s Cross owned/ridden by Jenny Bennett – Staffordshire
• Que Sera owned/ridden by Jo Hales – Oxfordshire
• Red Inferno owned/ridden by Hayley Ward – Hertfordshire

Voting officially opens on 18^th December 2023, and closes at 5pm on 19^th January 2024.

David Catlow, RoR Managing Director, said: 

“We are thrilled to open the voting for both these awards. The exceptional nominations from across the UK made our job and the judges’ decision incredibly difficult.

“All the stories shared highlight not only the adaptability of a former racehorse to a wide range of second careers but also the remarkable commitment to the horses’ well-being of so many involved in aftercare.”

All six finalists will attend the RoR Awards evening at The Jockey Club Rooms on 31^st January 2024, where the ultimate winners as voted by the public will be revealed. The evening also features presentations to this season’s RoR Elite Champions in dressage, eventing, polo, endurance, showing, and hunting.