Charlotte Kerton and Nettis Back on Track in the Retraining of Racehorses Club League Championship
Sunday 16 August 2015
First up in the Grand Ring on Sunday morning was a brand new Championship for 2015, the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) Club League Championship. Spectators witnessed a memorable occasion as the RoR class was introduced to the British Showjumping National Championships and Stoneleigh Horse Show for the first time. The uniqueness of this class has ensured that it’s made its mark on this event and already holds a special place in the hearts of many who were captivated by the history of the horses.
An extremely positive atmosphere could be felt around the ring as the wonderful attitude of the riders was emulated in their completion of the course.
Two of the five competing combinations made it through to the jump off with Charlotte Kerton from Newmarket, Suffolk taking home the win on her own 7 year-old chestnut gelding Nettis ahead of Nicola Bell from Doncaster, South Yorkshire and her own 9 year-old bay gelding Redoubtablefighter.
Charlotte was thrilled with the win and incredibly proud of her horse. She said: “It’s brilliant, I’ve never jumped in anything like this lovely big arena, and he’s usually an eventer.” Charlotte has had Nettis since he was three and used to ride the gelding as a racehorse. Since moving to showjumping, Charlotte believes that Nettis’ temperament is a lot more relaxed.
The spirit stayed high throughout the competition as every competitor was pleased with their horse’s performance, knowing they had left everything in the ring and jumped their hearts out. This was demonstrated by Kim Shepheard and A Nod and a Wink who made it to the fourth fence before making the tough decision to retire. However Kim said “She was over the moon about her round”, showing how much her participation in the British Showjumping National Championships and Stoneleigh Horse Show meant to her.
Kim was especially happy with the progress A Nod and a Wink has made over the past year. He used to compete in mostly flat racing and has had some experience in the Hurdles. The pair are from Devon and were the only combination to qualify from the region.
This new addition to the competition is a great way to ensure that retired racehorses are still receiving the care, attention and nurturing they deserve.
British Showjumping National Championships – Sunday 16th August
Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) Club League Championship
1st Charlotte Kerton & Nettis
2nd Nicola Bell & Redoubtablefighter
3rd Denise Mcloughlin & Emerald Glen
4th Kerrie Goodwin & My West Side
5th Kim Shepheard & A Nod and a Wink
The British Showjumping National Championships and Stoneleigh Horse Show 2015 was hosted at the National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre (NAEC), Stoneleigh, Warwickshire during the 11th-16th August. For further information, please visit www.bsnationalchampionships.co.uk.
Image Credit: 1st Class Images
Retraining of Racehorses (RoR):
Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) is British horseracing’s official Charity for the welfare of horses who have retired from racing. RoR raises funds from within racing to provide and maintain facilities for the care, retraining and re-homing of former racehorses and to promote awareness of the suitability of the retrained racehorse for other equine careers.
Working closely with the sport horse organisations and media, RoR promotes the adaptability of racehorses to other equestrian activities, and has a well-established programme of competition sponsorship. In addition, RoR holds educational events across the country to help owners look after and train their former racehorses. For further information, please visit www.ror.org.uk.
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