The RoR Partnership of the Year Award 2026 finalists

Cru, my Crusader, has literally saved my life. He came to me from Ireland as a failed racehorse, lean, shy, and he suffered from severe abscesses that proved to be keratoma, which we treated. He then had stress-induced laminitis and was saved thanks to my awesome vet, Vasco. This year I suffered injuries, loss, and my mum passed in July.

Cru started endurance in April and he has been placed 1, 1, 3, 2, 1, 1, and won his National Championship at the Red Dragon in Wales. We have travelled this journey together. I am a retired jockey and suffered many injuries, so Cru and endurance has helped me find a will to live. After Mum died I cried all the way to Wales and all the way back, but Cru deserved to take his place to win his championship.

I'm proud of making myself get there, but it was only because of Cru, and now I look forward to next year. His size has been both an advantage and a disadvantage. Big stride and low trees! But with his big stride at the Red Dragon – Cru became a man. He climbed that hill and together we won. Cru knows he's a champ. I'm proud that I actually got there, but only because of Cru. If I hadn't had a goal, if we hadn’t fought together, we both would not be here.

My mum sent me a sign in Wales in the form of white doves. I knew she and Dad were there. Cru literally has saved my life.

Nominated by Olivia Fforde

I’m nominating a special little horse and my mother. Zarkandar (Gino) arrived in 2018 while mum was having chemotherapy for aggressive triple-negative breast cancer. Focusing on Gino got mum through her treatments and surgery. Gino didn’t settle immediately—when she was too weak to do much, mum spent hours sitting with him, grooming and feeding him by hand. After nearly dying from neutropenic sepsis, she only asked about Gino.

When she was up to riding, he was gentle with her—despite his reputation for being a monkey! Parading him at The Cheltenham Festival in 2019 was a huge moment and she was officially in remission. Gino became a loving and comforting constant during years of sadness and upheaval: the pandemic, a second bout of cancer, my father’s sickness and death, and selling her house to keep afloat.

He cheers us up with his cheekiness and lovely outings to parades. Mum is sensitive to his needs: he doesn’t love competing, so he just does low-pressure fun outings without being super competitive. He has nothing to prove to anyone. He’s a true family pony and amazing with children, human and equine. He weaned a homebred foal and loves being a lead rein pony. He had incisors removed due to EOTRH, but he’s coping well. He’s almost completely retired now and has become even more of a pet. He makes mum laugh—we joke he is the yard health & safety officer!

Nominated by Linda Potts

Gemma's journey with Optimal Spirit (Charlie) began in 2015 when she met him at the yard where she worked, intended to be sold on. She quickly fell in love with this scruffy ex-racer who had come straight from the field. Together, they competed in several disciplines, with Gemma becoming a dedicated supporter of RoR. However, in 2021, tragedy struck. Gemma suffered a high-level spinal cord injury, leaving her tetraplegic, paralysed with no functional movement from her shoulders down.

After learning so much together, Gemma's riding career was over and Charlie was left with only one job. He became her lifeline and motivation to leave the house. Despite being unable to ride or perform simple tasks in his care, he remains her favourite place to be. Their strong bond is evident in his gentle and caring demeanour. Charlie is undisturbed by Gemma's wheelchair, always happy to be close to her, unfazed by the fact that someone has to lift her hand and place it on him. The pure joy on Gemma's face when she touches him or he nuzzles her speaks volumes about their special connection.

Optimal Spirit lifts Gemma's spirits every single day. He is her reason to push herself to her limits in the hope that, one day, she will lift her hand herself and touch him. Ultimately, he is more than just a horse to her; he is her heart horse.