Five “equine heart throbs” have been named in the inaugural Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) “Heart Awards”.
Four hundred ex racehorses were nominated for the awards and 28 were shortlisted.
Then more than 5,100 online votes were cast by the public to select four winners.
They are:
RoR Heart Throb Award (best looks) — Bob Justice, owned by Helen Thurtle from Norfolk
RoR Healthy Heart Award (best all-rounder) — Somethings Up, owned by Alice Graham, Norfolk
RoR Heart Stopper Award (overcoming adversity) — Rash Promise, owned by Dan Titterton from Staffordshire
RoR Biggest Heart Award (best temperament) — The Last Rambo, owned by Helen Scott from North Yorkshire
And an “overall winner” was picked by author Jilly Cooper from the finalists. She chose 22-year-old Solo Volumes (pictured above), known as Charlie.
Solo Volumes ran on the Flat and over hurdles was rehomed by the Yarham family from Norfolk, 14 years ago. He has go on to retrain for dressage, cross-country, endurance, showing and hunting.
Jilly presented this special award on Friday (8 July) during Newmarket’s July meeting to owner Mel Yarham and her seven-year-old son, Callum who has ridden Solo Volumes since he was just two years old.
Jilly said: “This has been the most inspiring, yet impossibly difficult competition I have ever judged. Every horse entered would be a worthy winner. I finally decided on Solo Volumes because as Mel proudly claims in her nomination ‘he is that rare combination of family pet and successful competition horse’. Displaying as he does, outstanding versatility and kindness, Charlie I feel is a worthy overall winner.”
Di Arbuthnot, director of operations at RoR says: “We are delighted with the response we received. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience to read every single nomination and they are all worthy winners.”
For more information visit: www.ror.org.uk
