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‘The love of my life’: horse returns to winning ways following arthritis surgery

Gemma Redrup Gemma Redrup

    • Bradley Gibbs rode and trained Dawnie Boy, the winner of the conditions (level two) at the Wheatland point-to-point at Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire yesterday (4 December). Bradley described the eight-year-old owned by Julian Sherriff as “the love of my life”.

    “He was entered to run in the novice riders with a young lad on him, but when the horse I was meant to be riding in this race had a hiccup mid-week, I decided to run Dawnie Boy in this race instead,” explained Bradley, who won the 14-runner race by three and a half lengths. “But when I was down at the start with him I was thinking why on earth I was running him in such a competitive race as I thought he might need a run prior to scoring any sort of result.”

    Dawnie Boy has now won three of his four British pointing starts, but things haven‘t been plain sailing.

    “I’ve had him for three or four years and have only run him four times,” said Bradley. “He was X-rayed and then operated on for arthritis in his knees, but as he was coming round from the operation, he freaked out and made a mess of himself – including chipping a bone in one of his knees.

    “I’ve always thought a lot of him and taking my time has been worth it.”

    Bradley explained it’s a case of managing Dawnie Boy.

    “We have changed a lot of things with him, for example he goes on a Theraplate, which is a vibrating mat, for 30-40 minutes each day.”

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    Gemma Redrup
    Gemma Redrup

    H&H features, racing and point-to-point editor
    Gemma is an experienced journalist, having been part of the H&H team since 2014, who is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at in August 2018. Gemma’s reporting talents have taken her to numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.
    Gemma Redrup

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