news It’s RoR Awards Night on Monday!

The 2017 Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) Awards take place on Monday 11^th December, hosted by RoR Patron, Clare Balding, and ITV Racing and At The Races presenter, Luke Harvey. Now in its fourth year, the event will again be staged at the historic Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket, the home of horseracing.

The RoR Awards celebrate the elite champions among the population of former racehorses in six different disciplines; dressage, endurance, eventing, polo, showjumping and showing. The award ceremony also sees the announcement of the 2017 RoR ‘Horse of the Year’, sponsored by The Jockey Club.

Past winners of this prestigious award include 2016 winner Monet’s Garden and there are three horses in the running for the 2017 RoR Horse of the Year. Leading the trio in terms of seniority is the 17-year-old, Right You Are, who has overcome significant adversity en route to finding his niche in dressage. Joining Right You Are are two of 2017’s stars of the show ring, the 13-year-old Beware Chalk Pit and the 9-year-old, Wild West.

The winner of the 2017 RoR Horse of the Year will be selected by a panel comprised of RoR Patron Sir Anthony McCoy, HWPA Broadcaster of the Year, Luke Harvey and RoR Chief Executive, Di Arbuthnot.

A Special Recognition Award will be made to Barbers Shop, who retired from competition in the show ring this year. Barbers Shop is owned by HM The Queen, and since his retirement from racing in 2012, the gelding has been under the care of Katie Jerram-Hunnable. Barbers Shop has been one of the leading former racehorses competing in showing classes and a great ambassador for RoR.

The Special Recognition Award will be presented by RoR Ambassador, Guy Disney, the first amputee to win a race under rules in Great Britain.

The RoR Awards night will also feature the presentation of the Meriel Tufnell Trophy to the winner of the 2017 RoR Racing to Hunting Challenge. The final was held recently at Aintree Racecourse and won by Brumous, ridden by Melanie Duff.

RoR Chief Executive, Di Arbuthnot said: “We are greatly looking forward to the 2017 RoR Awards and we would like to say thank you to The Jockey Club for their continued support, for the opportunity to stage the awards at the historic Jockey Cub Rooms and for their sponsorship of RoR ‘Horse of the Year’.

“As well as handing out deserved awards for the individual elite champions and hearing their wonderful back stories, the RoR Awards evening also provide an opportunity to celebrate the thousands of other former racehorses competing in equestrian disciplines. The winners are just the ambassadors on behalf of the all the horses enjoying a fulfilling second career after racing.”