Retraining of Racehorses Organization Receives Veterinary Award for Equine Welfare Accomplishments

The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Welfare Award for 2008, sponsored by The Blue Cross animal charity, has been presented to the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) organization for its contributions to equine welfare through the re-training and re-homing of racehorses.

The award, which was introduced by BEVA in conjunction with The Blue Cross animal welfare charity eight years ago, is a formal recognition of significant contributions made by veterinarians and others to equine welfare.

It was presented at the 47th BEVA Annual Congress in Liverpool last Friday.

Retraining of Racehorses was established in 2000 by the British Horseracing Authority. Its aim is to raise funds from the British racing industry to provide and maintain facilities for the care, retraining and rehoming of former racehorses.

Americans could learn a lot by snooping around the RoR web site.

RoR awards prizes to ex-racehorses competing in almost all horse sports and showing disciplines and also works hard as a support system for new owners who are adopting retired racehorses. The achievements of ex-racehorses are publicized and the organization creates an impression of a community and a mission that is world-class.

Efforts to mount the RoR's excellent video on this blog have sadly not been successful. If you are interested in the welfare of racehorses, please follow this link to watch the video and learn more about this organization and the amazing potential of Thoroughbreds in all equestrian endeavors:
http://www.ror.org.uk/about_video.htm

Retired Racehorses Are Stars of the Show in Britain; Special Awards, Competitions Abound

While there is much talk of the need to find homes for retired racehorses in the United States, many potential owners must ask, "and then what?" Perhaps a look across the pond at the British organization Retraining of Racehorses would open some eyes.

Consider what's going on this weekend. More than 180 of the world's top eventing horses, many of them in contention for national team berths to the Olympics in Hong Kong next month, are competing in the three-star The St. James's Place Barbury International Horse Trials ("Barbury"). You'll find Gina Miles, Amy Tryon, Clark Montgomery and Karen O'Connor on the entry list there, all short-listed USA riders who hope to make The List.

Also on the program at Barbury is today's second running of The Retrained Racehorse Event Championship sponsored by RoR and the National Trainers Federation (NTF). The special event will pay out £5,500 (roughly US$11,000) in prize money (with roughly $3000 to the winner), and has attracted some big-name international entries including horses ridden and trained by international riders Andrew Nicholson, William Fox-Pitt, Kristina Cook and Clayton Fredericks.

The class is run at Open Intermediate Level with the cross country run over the CIC** course and the horses - which can be raced or unraced - must carry a Weatherbys passport. (All British horses are required to have "passports" with identification and health records detailed; Wetherbys is the UK's Thoroughbred breeding registration administrator.) The top 10 horses have been invited to continue with show jumping tomorrow.

A showcase parade of available racehorses that have been identified to have some potential for eventing will follow the Thoroughbred class tonight.

A similar class for ex-racehorses in showjumping was held at the Hickstead Derby, for show horses at the Royal Windsor Show, and also there is a series of awards for ex-racehorses who are now polo ponies, endurance horses, etc.

In addition to rewarding exemplary ex-racehorses and encouraging the public to retrain and rehome ex-flat racers and jump racers, ROR also educates new owners about caring for ex-racehorses and gives seminars.

On the admin side, the new organization has established a registry of ex-racehorses in Great Britain who are eligible for its programs and benefits.

The work done by Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) was recently recognized by the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), which awarded ROR the BEVA Equine Welfare Award for 2008.

The award, sponsored by the British animal charity Blue Cross, will be presented at the BEVA congress in Liverpool in September.