Page 30 - NagMag November 2014

Racehorse to Riding Horse Championship
Racehorse to riding Horse TChampionship Crown
he 2014 SEIB Insurance Chouxdamour qualified Brokers Racehorse in the large main
to Riding Horse arena at Burghley and
Championship reached a thrilling it was a very different
conclusion in the International Arena at Horse of the Year Show, with
the top spot going to Flaygray with owner and rider, Faye Hesketh. The runner-up was Claire Oliver and former Nicky Henderson trained, Chouxdamour.
Flaygray, by Terimon out of I’ll Skin Them (IRE), ran 12 times during his racing career and won twice over hurdles and once in a National Hunt Bumper, trained by ex-national hunt jockey, Chris Grant.
Since arriving with Faye he
has shown that he has a future in the showring, winning supreme
at the Area NPS shown as a hack, was first in the RoR class at the North of England show, qualifying for Hickstead, won the SEIB HOYS qualifier at Osbaldeston and the RoR at Winsor
The reserve spot went to Chouxdamour, owned by Willie Reardon and ridden by Claire Oliver.
atmosphere to that at
HOYS. But the 11-year-
old chestnut gelding,
by Murmure (FR) out
of Choucouli (FR),
took it all in his stride.
His former trainer and
former National Hunt
Champion Trainer,
Nicky Henderson, was
at HOYS to witness his success in the show ring.
Third place went to Clare Pool from Westbury-on-Severn, with the bay gelding, Buckingham Boys, called “Lovely” at home. Claire has had the 12-year-old for four years and got him straight out of racing. “Retraining an ex-racehorse is different from any other horse, it is hard work but it is special”, enthused Clare.
The 12 finalists, who have all been in training and raced in the UK, came before the judges, Jean Walsh and Adele Hanson. Several
Seventh place Lynn Russell from Surrey with Decimate
horses had illustrious racing careers, including Midnight Chase who was placed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Purple Moon who has earned over a million pounds in prize money.
The SEIB Racehorse To Riding Horse Show Championship was created by South Essex Insurance Brokers. The classes are open to both amateur and professional producers and are judged as for Riding Horses, with the best of type, whether hack, riding horse or hunter, deemed the winner. NM
Flaygray with Faye Hesketh
30 ❘ NagMag November 2014
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Claire Oliver and Chouxdamour
© ES Photography © ES Photography
© ES Photography