news 2018 RoR Racing to Hunting Challenge launched

• £2500 prize to the winner and £1000 for their Hunt
• Nominations close on Monday 19th March 2018
• Kindly supported by Ri-Dry
• Final to take place at Aintree on Countryside Raceday, 28th October.

Is there a former racehorse that hunts regularly with your pack? If so, they could earn a £1,000 prize for your hunt and a £2,500 prize for their rider.

Following the success of the inaugural 2017 Racing to Hunting Challenge, British Horseracing’s own charity, Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) together with The Hunting Office, is launching the second running of the Challenge. The Challenge is kindly supported by Ri-Dry, who will be making a generous donation in the latter stages of the challenge. For more information on Ri-Dry visit their website www.ri-dryclothing.co.uk

Once again, the winner will receive a £2,500 first prize with a further £1,000 going to the winner’s hunt. The challenge is open to all mounted packs in Great Britain.

The winner will also be awarded the Meriel Tufnell Trophy at the prestigious annual RoR Awards held at The Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket. The 2017 winner was the 17-year-old Brumous, who Melanie Duff hunts twice a week with the V.W.H.

Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) is British Horseracing’s official charity for the welfare of retired racehorses. The charity promotes the versatility and adaptability of former racehorses with a view to increasing the number of horses that go on to have active and fulfilling lives after racing.

The RoR Racing to Hunting Challenge celebrates those former racehorses that have adapted to a life in the hunting field. The panel of judges will review entries based on their all-round behaviour and manners out hunting.

Mike Tucker, the leading equestrian commentator and Chairman of the panel of judges, said: “It is a pleasure to be involved with this great initiative and very rewarding to see so many former racehorses becoming such assets in the hunting field. As well as being able to jump a variety of fences, we will also expect horses to show good manners around hounds and the ability to ride away from the field and open gates.

Hunts are asked to put forward one former racehorse as their nomination for the Challenge. Entry is free and entries close on Monday 19th March 2018. The first 50 nominations received will all go forward to the first round of judging.

The judging panel will then draw up a shortlist of 5 entries to go forward to the final hosted by Aintree on Countryside Day, 28th October 2018.

The Challenge is open to all horses that have raced in Great Britain (Point-to-Point or Under Rules) and that are registered with an RoR Competition Membership. Horses can be registered at any point up to the closing date for entries. To register, simply follow this link. The nomination form can be downloaded here.

The judging panel will review the 50 nominations based on the submission supplied by the rider and a Master from their respective hunt. The rider is asked to supply the judges with a brief biography of the horse’s career, both Racing and Hunting, as well as photos and / or videos of the horse in the hunting field. This material should be compiled and submitted by 19th March 2018. The Master is asked to provide a short reference for their nominated horse.

Please note that any photos or videos supplied of the horse not in the hunting field will be excluded in the judging stage.

Also, the five finalists from the 2017 Racing to Hunting Challenge are not eligible to compete in 2018 Challenge.

For more information email hunting@ror.org.uk or go to www.ror.org.uk