Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) has announced the highly anticipated shortlist of the final twelve former racehorses in the running for the 2022 The Jockey Club RoR Horse of the Year.
As part of the process, the horse-loving public can vote online for their favourite to decide on the three finalists for this year’s prestigious award. Renowned sports broadcaster, horse lover and RoR Patron, Clare Balding CBE, will then have the difficult task of deciding on the overall winner from the public choice.
There were 150 nominations received by RoR, who had the difficult task to whittle the final selection down to twelve horses for this year’s shortlist, which perfectly reflects the extraordinary versatility of so many former racehorses.
In alphabetical order, the RoR shortlist of horses are:
ACT OF BRAVERY age 7 – Owned by Joanna Broadbent
AMERICAN age 12 –Owned by Emma Bunnett-Powne
BLACK SAM MELODY age 6 –Owned by Charlotte Wrightson
DANNY’S BEST age 13 –Owned by Sarah Raw
FIRST FANDANGO age 15 –Owned by Hannah Chisman
GEORGE BAKER age 15 –Owned by Linda McGuire
KING’S FUTURE age 13 –Owned by Virginia Rider
MASTER WICKHAM age 13 –Owned by Claire Lewis
MY GALWAY MAN age 15 –Owned by Daisy Hood
PINEAU DE RE age 19 –Owned by Lizzie Brunt
SECOND BROOK age 15 –Owned by Lesley Sayers
SKIPPER ROBIN age 16 –Owned by William Fox Grant
The story of each of the twelve horses on the RoR shortlist is now online at www.ror-events.org.uk where also the public can cast their votes on a maximum of three horses between 1st December until midnight on 11th December 2022.
On Wednesday 14th December RoR will announce the top three former racehorses with the most public votes and the finalists will be invited to the prestigious RoR Elite Awards on 21st January 2023 at The Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket.
Di Arbuthnot, Chief Executive, said:
All of the entries deserve enormous commendation for their incredible hard work, passion and dedication which they continue to give to their former racehorses. We have all thoroughly enjoyed reading their stories highlighting the great versatility of these well-loved RoR horses. Thank you to everyone who entered and good luck to the final twelve.”
The overall winner receives The Jockey Club perpetual bronze trophy, as well as VIP hospitality for two people for the Opening Day of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival meeting. In addition, each finalist chosen by the public vote will have a specially commissioned video telling their horses’ story which will be premiered at the Awards night.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.