Author: Julieanne Horsman

Shane Cheney dedicated 33 years of his life to his country as a member of the Australian Defence Force. He enlisted in the Navy straight out of school in 1987 and also served in the Army then the Air Force, completing deployments to the Persian Gulf, Papua New Guinea, East Timor (twice), Nias Island, Iraq (twice), and Afghanistan (twice.) By the time he hung up his hat earlier this year he had a shining service record and more medals than he could fit on his chest but it had taken a heavy toll. Like many defence personnel reaching the end of their careers Shane struggled to make the transition from Flight Sergeant to civilian.

“It was all I had ever known,” Shane said, a glint in his eye revealing his secret pain. “My marriage was breaking down at the same time. I felt like I was losing everything and couldn’t do anything to stop it.”

Shane sought help with veterans’ support organisations Soldier On and Open Arms which led him to a one day introduction to equine therapy course with RSL LifeCare at Picton. Despite having no prior experience with horses he enjoyed it so much he asked if he could volunteer there regularly.

“I didn’t feel pressured or enclosed while I was there,” Shane said. “I was out in the open in the sunshine with the horses. I found it very calming from the start.”

Soon after RSL LifeCare officially partnered with Racing NSW’s equine welfare division Team Thoroughbred NSW to deliver a pilot program which allowed veterans and first responders with PTSD to learn horse care, retraining and riding on retired racehorses and Thoroughbreds who never made the track. Shane was one of the first to apply and along with his friends Leanne and Nick was accepted into the program.

“I was elated,” Shane said. “It gave me something to look forward to, something to focus on, when everything else was falling apart.”

The course, named Spur as the participants will earn their spurs, began in March 2019 with a day of introductions. Course Manager Max Streeter explained what was expected and what would be taught. A truckload of Thoroughbreds from Racing NSW arrived a few days later.

“I live nearby so I was able to be there and help Max unload the horses,” Shane said. “It was my first proper experience handling horses and I tried to get to know them straight away.”

Since then the Spur participants have been learning everything they need to know from grooming to leading to ground work in the round yard and riding. Officially the course runs on Thursdays and Saturdays but most participants are there more regularly.

“It’s just so good to be around like-minded people,” Shane said. “It’s a place where you can be yourself and talk about your issues without being judged. You’re focusing on the horses and when you do that you’re not thinking about anything else. That’s your world. It’s changed me and opened my mind. I was in a depressive state when I started but Spur makes me get out of the house, be social and rebuild my confidence. The hardest bit is going home at the end of the day!”

As a senior NCO in the Air Force Shane developed leadership qualities that shine through at Spur. He encourages other participants and is always the first to lend a hand where it’s needed.

“Shane puts in the extra hours and can be relied upon to do those jobs that keep horses fit and healthy like cleaning yards, helping to check all the horses for condition and taking an active interest in each and every horse in the herd,” Course Manager Max Streeter said.

“The strengths, skills and qualities that many of our veterans possess often become buried under the weight of service related illness and injury. Regardless, those attributes are still present and come to the fore during this program. Shane is a good example. As Shane dedicated himself to his horse journey the weight lifted and the change was noticeable.”

The Spur course will culminate in a four-day trek through Kosciuszko National Park in early November. Participants will ride their Thoroughbreds along the trails in one final test of courage, initiative and teamwork.

“I’m really looking forward to it although I’m sure I will have a sore bum by the end of it,” Shane said. “Max and I went down there before Winter to check it out and talk to some of the tour operators and the locals who were riding there. It’s a beautiful part of the world.”

At the conclusion of the Spur course Shane plans to stay involved with horses and the next intake of participants.

“It’s not just a short course where you spend a week with everyone then go home and forget them,” he said. “We’re building lifelong friendships here. I love being able to help other people and I’ve seen them grown and progress. I bring my daughter Scarlett down to see the horses. I feel like I’m part of something special.”

They say blood is thicker than water but when Hayley Robl and her mum Elaine saddle up for the One Star event at Denman Horse Trials this weekend, family ties will be left in the float.

“Of course I’m going to try and beat her,” Hayley said with a cheeky smile.

At just 14 years of age Hayley has already shown great talent for riding. Born to jockey parents Peter and Elaine Robl, Hayley was on the back of a horse before she could walk.

“One day when she was a toddler I turned my back for a second and she was off to the thoroughbred paddock,” Elaine said. “There was no stopping her back then and nothing has changed since!”

At age 8 Hayley followed her mum into eventing.

“I was doing a one day event at Christine Bates’ property at Wilberforce and Hayley was walking the course with me,” Elaine said. “She was looking around then turned to me and said Mum I think I can do this. I want to have a go.”

Hayley started doing clinics with Christine and became a member of the Hills District Pony Club. It wasn’t long before she was jumping 45cm courses and falling more in love with the sport with every ride. As Hayley’s skills increased so too did her need for a horse which she could take through the grades. Elaine was retraining an off the track thoroughbred named Jade Crusader which had been given to her by Warwick Farm trainer Bruce Cross. She’d put the horse over some jumps during his racing career in an effort to get the best out of him but after five starts and nothing better than 6^th it was clear he wasn’t going to make it as a racehorse. Elaine made sure he was safe before letting Hayley have her first ride of him. At the time he was aged 4 and Hayley aged 10.

“I was a little bit unsure at first but I got on and that was it,” Hayley said. “First we walked then trotted then cantered and he was great. I yelled out Mum I love him!”

From that moment Jade Crusader was Hayley’s. She renamed him Lucky Decision for competition and Elvis for around the stables and worked him at every opportunity. They won their first event together at Berrima Horse Trials and the ribbons kept coming.

“It’s been so much fun learning together and Elvis tries his heart out, even on the days when he thinks it’s all too hard,” Hayley said.

Last month Hayley and Elvis won their first One Star event at Gundagai. They finished second in the dressage and first in both the showjumping and cross country, coming out on top of the overall rankings. Mum Elaine, who also rides an off the track thoroughbred named Pirellone, finished 4^th overall in the same class but she didn’t mind.

“If anyone was going to beat me I’m glad it was her,” Elaine said. “It was her shout for dinner on the way home that night!”

While Elaine and Hayley will be up against each other again at Denman Horse Trials this weekend, the challenge of the course is what Hayley is focused on.

“The cross country will be especially hard as it’s very open and windy,” Hayley said. “I’m hoping for a top 5 finish. Top 3 would be even better. It’s a really fun event to go though and I am looking forward to a fun weekend away from any school work!

“I do feel lucky to have a horse and be able to go out and do so much with him. Living near the city, not many of my friends have horses. It’s great to have parents I can turn to when I need some direction and advice with the horses. I’m really grateful.”

After Denman Hayley will give Elvis a break before beginning preparations for the Australian Interschool Championships in October.

“My aim is to be schooling Two Star by the end of the year.”

Whether they admit it or not trackwork riders always have a favourite horse and for Elaine Robl in late 2017 it was Pirellone. The then three-year-old gelding was a sweetheart, a nice mover and did everything with ease, but with a record of ten starts and not a single place Elaine knew his days as a racehorse were numbered. He’d already been moved from Gabby Englebrecht’s Sydney stables down to Robert and Luke Price’s establishment on the South Coast when owner Shane Duff from Mad About Racing asked Elaine if she wanted him in retirement.

“I didn’t’ have to think about it,” Elaine said. “I thought he’d be suitable for eventing and I missed riding him. Shane told me that Pirellone was going to have one more start at Nowra so I offered to go down and pick him up straight from the track.”

On Monday 15^th January 2018 Elaine hitched the float onto her car and set off for Shoalhaven City Turf Club. She watched as Pirellone was sent out a $14 chance in the 2200m BM55 Handicap on a heavy track and couldn’t believe her eyes when he bolted in by more than three lengths.

“I called Shane again and he said we can’t sack him now so I had to go home without him,” Elaine said with a laugh.

She didn’t have to wait too long to bring him home though. He put in another three lacklustre runs and was formally retired less than two months later after pulling up with cardiac arrhythmia at Kembla Grange.

“I gave him a little break before I started training him,” Elaine said. “My friend Kathy (O’Hara) helped me set up some grids and little jumps. He’s very trainable and always tries his hardest once he understands what you’re asking him to do.”

Elaine and Pirellone’s first outing together was a dressage competition at Camden. They placed 5^th in one of their tests but it was the way Pirellone handled himself that impressed Elaine the most.

“The weather was horrendous that day,” she said. “It was blowing a gale but he was so well behaved and he just handled it all. Shane came to watch him that day too.”

Since then Elaine and Pirellone have attended dozens of competitions and continued to improve each time. They’re already competing at One Star eventing and over the weekend they placed 3^rd in the Young Horse 1.10m category at the Camden Winter Showjumping Festival.

“He’s a super jumper,” Elaine said. “He jumps out of his skin.”

As a former jockey herself and the wife of jockey-turned-trainer Peter Robl, Elaine is committed to equine welfare and is proud to have been giving retired racehorses a new career for more than 20 years.

“I’ve always had horses off the track,” she said. “I love playing around with them and re-educating them. The Thoroughbred is naturally athletic and such a versatile breed. If you find the right one for the right person you can do anything.”

Finding a suitable home for each retired racehorse is a priority for Shane Duff too.

“We only buy one or two horses each year and they’re raced by close friends and family so they’re almost like a pet to us,” he said. “It’s great to know Pirellone is loved and stimulated in his new home. We get out to watch him whenever we can. My girls love him.”

 

Only a few months after driving more than 600kms to watch Winx’s fairy tale final race, 16-year-old Holly Turnbull wrote her own fairy tale when competing in the prestigious six-bar event at the North West Equestrian Expo otherwise known as ‘Coona’!

‘Coona’ is the largest interschool event in Australia and has been running for 25 years. The expo attracts an average of 600 riders and 700 horses each June to compete in various disciplines including showjumping, dressage, polocrosse, hacking and sporting. The competitors take on other school teams over the five days which concludes with a closing ceremony and overall points tally.

An accomplished polocrosse rider, Turnbull had no expectations of success when she entered the six-bar at Coona with her off-the-track thoroughbred Crafty Vixen – a 13-year-old mare bought for just $300 by her mother Rosie who’d seen her run last in a three-horse race at Coonamble years previously. While Rosie bought the mare as her own project and never intended for her daughter to take the mount, that changed a few years after they purchased her.

“After about three years in the paddock, I told mum I wanted to ride her and we just started from there,” Holly said. “Mum worked on her and I took her to Pony Camp and took her other places and she was good. I was about 11 when I started riding her. I love horses and they are my passion, so put me on anything and I’ll ride it.”

As a boarder at Calrossy Anglican School in Tamworth, Holly’s riding time with Crafty Vixen was limited leading into Coona and she relied on her mother doing flatwork with the mare back home in Quambone. While they knew she was a good jumper, they had no idea just how successful she would be when they entered the class.

“I haven’t jumped her since last year,” Holly said. “She’s only been in for about three weeks’ work; my mum did flat work while I was away at school and that was it. I had no expectations at all. I thought I was going to be out at 1m because that was all I’ve ever done on her and then all of a sudden we were at 1.25m and then 1.35m. I thought we’d knock at 1.35m so I thought I’d just ride it and see what we’d do. I just tried to do the best for my horse and when I went over the fence, everyone was cheering. It was crazy, it was an incredible feeling. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.”

Competing against more than 100 other riders, Holly and Crafty Vixen were the only pair to go clear through all five rounds with the fence in the final round set at 1.35m. Their victory came just a month and a half after Holly found plenty of inspiration watching Winx run in her final race, a victory she won’t soon forget.

“We drove nearly seven hours from Quambone to Sydney to watch Winx,” she said. “I was with my mum and dad and one of my sisters flew down from the Gold Coast; it was my first time at Randwick and the atmosphere was crazy. It is an amazing complex and it was an experience I will never forget. I used to always want to be a jockey when I was younger and I’m even more motivated after watching that.”

While Holly plans on studying Psychology at university, she is currently toying with the thought of spending her gap year in the racing industry.

Mr Manhattan was the type of racehorse anyone would love to own. He won six of his 16 starts and rarely finished outside the top three. He was easy to handle, adored by Joe Pride’s Warwick Farm stable staff and loved a treat and a cuddle when his owners came to visit.

Disappointingly, Mr Manhattan’s racing career was cut short by a condition known as Chondritis. As it worsened it affected his breathing and his form deteriorated. The decision was made to retire him straight away and he was sent to Limitless Lodge at Wyong for a well-earned rest.

Not far up the road in Kulnura 26-year-old Mitch Carraro and girlfriend Anna Stenberg operate their equine feed and hay store, Storm Park Produce. Both are talented showjumpers who have trained off the track thoroughbreds so Limitless Lodge’s foreman decided to give them the first offer of Mr Manhattan. With several horses already in their care, they didn’t really want or need another but agreed to go and see him anyway. When they got there, they changed their minds.

“We’ve got a lot of racing clients as well as spelling farms and pre-trainers so we get offered retired racehorses fairly regularly,” Mitch said. “We’ve had about 10 thoroughbreds so far and they’ve all been great. Really athletic and willing. Mr Manhattan was a nice type and walked well so we decided to take him home.”

Mitch and Anna gave Mr Manhattan a month off to let down before attempting anything with him. Anna was too busy with her horses so Mr Manhattan became Mitch’s new project.

“We decided to see if he could jump and he showed ability straight away,” Mitch said. “I took him to his first competition at Tamworth Show in late 2017 and he went well. There was a lot for him to look at but he behaved himself.”

Since then Mitch has enjoyed taking Mr Manhattan through his grades and didn’t take long before he was jumping 1m.

“We only planned to compete him up to 1m but he showed talent so we started trying him over 1.05m and 1.10m at home,” Mitch said. “The bigger the jumps got, the harder he tried.”

Last month Mr Manhattan and Mitch finished just outside the top 20 in the Group 2 1.10m Thoroughbred Championship at the Aquis Champions Tour on the Gold Coast. It was the biggest competition they had entered together. This weekend they will step up to 1.15m for the first time at the Camden Winter Showjumping Festival.

“It’s all just a bit of fun for us,” Mitch said. “We don’t set out to win, I’d be happy to jump a few clear rounds and have fun. I enjoy the whole process of preparing a horse and it’s satisfying to see how far Mr Manhattan has come. There are no concrete plans for him. We’ll just make sure he keeps his confidence.”

As for the chondritis, it hasn’t affected Mr Manhattan’s showjumping ability or given him any trouble.

“It definitely hasn’t held him back since we’ve had him,” Mitch said. “He’s a real cool dude with plenty of character. He loves attention and lets us know if we’re not giving him enough.”

When renowned horseman Patrick Herde walked into Burton’s Saddlery in early 2018, as he had done hundreds of times before, he had no inkling this particular visit would set him on the path for his greatest and most rewarding challenge yet. As he wandered around the shop in the heart of Armidale he struck up a conversation with owner Lee Burton who told him about BackTrack. Lee’s son Paul Dawson was working with the unique not-for-profit organisation which helps the most troubled youths get back on the straight and narrow and raved about its positive impact. Patrick looked up BackTrack online when he got home and knew he wanted to get involved too.

One of the key elements of BackTrack is the Paws Up program where participants learn to train working dogs for shows. It promotes self-control and leadership and as the current Australian champions it has given the kids a sense of accomplishment they’ve never experienced before. Having seen first-hand the emotional and psychological benefits of working with horses, Patrick came up with an ambitious plan to adapt the dog program for ex-racehorses. He approached BackTrack and Racing NSW’s equine welfare division Team Thoroughbred NSW with his pitch and in early 2019 it was given the green light.

Ten retired racehorses from Team Thoroughbred NSW’s rehoming program were delivered to Patrick’s Deepwater property, Ballyoch Horses. Some had managed to win races, others hadn’t even made the trials, but they had all been assessed as retrainable for careers after racing. Once a week Paul Dawson from BackTrack would drive half a dozen kids the 140km from Armidale to Patrick’s place so they could help with the retraining process and in turn learn invaluable skills, form friendships and build confidence.

“Firstly, we made sure the horses were safe and once we were confident of that we started teaching the boys and girls the basics,” Patrick said. “It wasn’t long before we had bums in saddles and could ride up into the hills for a picnic and campfire lunch. I was blown away by how far the kids came in the first month alone. The horse mirrors what you are feeling so you have to control your emotions. The kids became very aware of the energy they were putting out. You would see them get angry or frustrated then realise it was affecting their horse and change their attitude.”

Some of the boys have shown such a great aptitude for horsemanship, Patrick has employed them to work at his farm. The older ones stay there during the week and go back to Armidale for TAFE.

“We are teaching them a range of horsemanship and general farm skills which will make them more employable in the future,” Patrick said. “I want to see these kids chasing their dreams and being proud of themselves. We’re certainly proud of them.”

With the first group of horses now trained up for stock work and trail riding, they are ready to be sold so new horses can come into the program. An auction and open day will be held at Ballyoch Horses on Saturday, 1^st June 2019. Inspections begin at 8:30am and the kids will be parading the horses from 10:30am with the auction to be completed after lunch. People can absentee bid by contacting Ballyoch Horses. 100% of the sale price of each horse will be donated to BackTrack. There will also be working dog demonstrations, plenty of catering and taste testing of Deepwater Brewing Co’s ales.

It’s not just the BackTrack participants and horses who are benefiting for the program. The local community is too. Patrick has sourced all his building materials and feed from the region and uses local service providers including vets and farriers. They’ve also formed a polo club and are fundraising to build a field in the middle of Deepwater Racecourse.

“It’s a win win win situation,” he said. “None of us really knew what it was going to look like but we’ve all been determined to make it work for everyone. We’re looking forward to the next group of horses arriving and welcoming more BackTrack kids to the program. My goal is to create more permanent jobs for BackTrack graduates on our farm.”

Click here to find out more about the Ballyoch Horses/BackTrack Horse Sale & Open Day. 

Ballyoch/BackTrack Trained Horses For Sale

Ballyoch Tianshi

Ballyoch Noah’s Secret 

Ballyoch Star Veeda

Ballyoch Sweet Dynasty

Ballyoch Chief 

Ballyoch D’Jay

Ballyoch Mi Sassy

Ballyoch Appleberry

Ballyoch Donna Riccio 

Ballyoch Moringa’s Stroller 

 

Abandoned in a dry paddock at Yass with more than 50 other horses. Raise An Angel found herself 350km and a world away from her previous home. The little grey mare had spent her entire two-year racing career at Phil Sweeney’s Jerilderie stables. She was no star but always tried her best and was loved and cared for like a pet. Both of Phil’s jockey daughters Brooke and Sally Sweeney rode her in races and Sally even saluted on her at Moulamein. They doted on her until she was retired and sold.

Raise An Angel was set to be exported to race overseas but when the red tape became too much, her new international owner threw his hands up, walked away and stopped paying the agistment bills. With mounting costs in drought conditions, the agistment property manager tried desperately to rehome the horses before Racing NSW stepped in and rescued them. They were split between Racing NSW’s facilities at Taree and Muswellbrook where they were able to rest, gain weight and get healthy again. Raise An Angel, then five, went to Muswellbrook and eventually begun retraining for life after racing.

Meanwhile in Sydney passionate equestrienne and children’s riding coach Jessica Bott, wife of Randwick trainer Adrian Bott, was looking for her next showjumping horse. Having grown up riding off the track Thoroughbreds in the U.S., they remained her breed of choice. She had heard from her friend Karen Day, Racing NSW’s Equine Welfare General Manager, about the variety of Thoroughbreds available for rehoming through Racing NSW’s programs so she made an appointment, hooked up the float and headed up the highway to Muswellbrook.

“I didn’t think I’d need the float but ended up coming home with not one but three horses,” Jessica said. “My close friends Bernie O’Regan and Emily Inwood made the trip up with me and also bought into the horses. Raise An Angel wasn’t my first choice but Bernie thought she had a lot of scope. She had a fluid movement and was brave over jumps and Bernie wouldn’t let us leave without her!”

Once home, Jessica’s plan to prepare Raise An Angel for showjumping hit a stumbling block. The mare was hot and fizzy on the ground and fired-up on the lunge. With the guidance of friends and more senior coaches Jessica persisted, and within a couple of months Raise An Angel was a different horse.

“I sat on her and she felt so different to how she looked,” Jessica said. “I took her trail riding and just enjoyed spending time with her. She was more like a therapy horse for me. My training of her was sporadic due to work commitments and supporting Adrian but she impressed me beyond her years.”

Jessica Started having lessons with Alison Rowland and Sarah McMillan. Sarah’s partner Nelson Smyth rode Raise An Angel when Jessica couldn’t to help with the retraining process. With each session, the little grey mare showed more and more talent for showjumping. They had their first outing together at Sydney Jump Club where they jumped clear. One of Jessica’s teenage students, Sophie Hatch – a top junior showjumper, then took Raise An Angel to Interschools where she performed well again. Jessica continued competing on Raise An Angel, constantly impressed by the way she took each challenge in her stride.

“She is bold and brave and has a natural desire to jump a fence clean,” Jessica said. “She has never so much as thought about pulling up at a fence. As a breed Thoroughbreds are intelligent and eager to please.”

Earlier this month Jessica and Raise An Angel faced their greatest test – the Aquis Champions Tour on the Gold Coast. In the Group 2 1.10m Thoroughbred Championship they finished in the top 10 – an outstanding achievement for any horse, let alone one who had been found neglected in a paddock just 18 months before.

“She is phenomenal,” Jessica said. “It just goes to show it’s worth taking a chance on a young horse and investing in quality coaching. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows and she does still have her quirks but we’ve turned a corner and I am so proud of her.”

When researching Raise An Angel’s breeding Jessica discovered the most astounding link to youth. Her grand sire, Fusaichi Pegasus, was the same sire as the life-changing gelding Jessica owned while studying at university in Kentucky.

“Ramsey was a star and I used the money from selling him to come to Australia,” she said. “I have a lot to thank Fusaichi Pegasus for!”

For now Raise An Angel is enjoying a well-earned spell at Evergreen Stud in the Hunter Region and will be stepping up to 1.15m at the Camden Winter Showjumping Festival next month.

“I’m just aiming to be more competitive with her and enjoy the relationship we have,” Jessica said. “I trust her to get me from a to b safely and she’s impressing me all the time. She really is something special.”

Click here to see some of the retired racehorses available for rehoming now via Team Thoroughbred’s programs. 

Last November 19-year-old equestrienne Hannah Klep had a six-month goal of competing in three star events with her off the track thoroughbred, Reprieve. This week they will represent Australia at the Oceania Eventing Championships in New Zealand, blowing even Hannah’s own expectations out of the water.

“I have dreamed of representing my country since I began eventing but I can’t believe I am actually here,” an ecstatic Hannah said. “It’s been a whirlwind and it’s so exciting.”

Just four exceptionally talented athletes make up the Australian Young Rider Team and of the four horses they compete with, two are thoroughbreds. The second is Silver Force, a former West Australian galloper who is now partnered with Tayah Andrew, a trackwork rider from Perth. The team completed an intensive camp last week and the training has continued in Taupo.

“Reprieve flew over to New Zealand on a special flight on Monday night and I got in on Tuesday,” Hannah said. “Like always, Reprieve has taken it all in his stride and settled in really well.”

The Oceania Eventing Championships run from Friday to Sunday and include three phases – dressage, cross country and showjumping.

“Cross country is a significant test here because it’s a longer course than normal but this is where Reprieve will excel,” Hannah said. “Being an off the track thoroughbred Reprieve has the natural fitness and stamina to keep jumping and galloping at speed.

This is the first time Hannah has taken Reprieve overseas and it’s given her an invaluable insight into the demands of a being a professional rider.

“Representing your country is a massive deal and I am feeling the pressure to perform to the best of my ability but I am trying to put that out of my mind and just appreciate the experience,” she said.

“The camp last week and the training this week has really built my confidence and confirmed to me that Reprieve is in top shape.

“The are Olympians here both in the Senior team and as coaches and training alongside them has been priceless. The Australian coaches have been fantastic and literally by our side 24/7.”

Hannah first met Reprieve when she was 14 years old. Her horse went lame and her coach arranged for Hannah to borrow him. At the time Reprieve hasn’t long been retired and was being retrained by Kylie Higginbotham, a stablehand at Joseph Jones Racing where Reprieve had spent most of his racing career. She saw the bond developing between Hannah and Reprieve and agreed to sell him to her a few months later.

Hannah took Reprieve to Pony Club and continued regular lessons with him. They began competing at introductory level and completed 14 pre-novice events before qualifying for One Star. At age 15 Hannah and Reprieve represented NSW at The Interschools Australian Championships for the first time then progressed to two star competitions.

“He was learning while I was learning and he was just so good every step of the way,” Hannah said. “I think going through that journey together created our bond. He’s my once in a lifetime horse.”

Hannah hasn’t set any goals beyond the Oceania Championships. Instead she’s just taking it all in.

“We will come home next week,” she said. “I will put him on the plane and two vets will fly with him. The goal is the get him home safe, sound and happy. He is proof that hard work and persistence are the keys to success.”

Click here to help Hannah with the financial pressure of representing Australia internationally. https://www.gofundme.com/f/assist-hannah-and-reprieve-get-to-taupo-nz

With his shiny black coat and athletic 16.1h frame it’s easy to see why Brittanny Grovernor instantly fell in love with Cherokee Warrior, but the friendly young stablehand had to work a lot harder for reciprocal affection. When Cherokee Warrior arrived at the Joseph and Jones Racing stables where Brittanny worked he was shy, timid and didn’t want a bar of anyone.

“He was the most beautiful horse but so unfriendly,” Brittanny said. “I really felt sorry for him so I decided to make him my project.”

Every morning Brittanny would drop hay at Cherokee Warrior’s door and watch from a distance as he gobbled it up. Each day she would take a step closer until eventually she could stand in his box. She would talk softly to him and often just sit with him after hours on her mission to earn his trust.

“I spent as much time with him as I could,” Brittanny said. “I was going through a bit of a tough time myself and I could relate to how he was feeling.”

Over time Cherokee Warrior let his guard down and Brittanny became his favourite person, the one he looked to for love, care and reassurance. His newfound comfort showed on the track. In his second preparation for Joseph Jones Racing he notched three wins. But after failing to win a race the preparation after, his owners decided to sell him. Luckily for Brittanny Cherokee Warrior’s new owners were also local and he was sent to Mick Smith‘s Queanbeyan stable for a change of scenery.

“I found Mick at the races and told him everything I thought he needed to know about Cherokee Warrior,” Brittanny said. “Feed him dry leaves, put a girl apprentice on etc. Chelsea MacFarlane was Mick’s apprentice at the time so I messaged her on facebook. I wanted to make sure they understood him.”

A couple of months later Brittanny landed her dream job as Head Girl at Jock Paget Eventing. She kissed Cherokee Warrior goodbye and boarded a plane bound for England.

“I stayed up to watch all of his races and my friends would go and find him and take pictures to send me,” Brittanny said. “The Cherokee Warrior Fan Club was never far away.”

Brittanny returned to Australia in May 2018 and her first stop was Mick Smith’s tie-up stalls to see her favourite horse. It was then Mick asked if Brittanny would be interested in adopting Cherokee Warrior once his racing career was over. She jumped at the chance and started planning for his arrival.

On 5^thOctober 2018 Cherokee Warrior ran his final race. At big odds he screamed home down the outside to run second, much to the delight of Brittanny and his owners who were there to cheer him on. But when he returned to the mounting yard it was clear something was horribly wrong. He could barely walk, prompting the jockey to jump off and stand him still. On-course vets gave him pain relief and X-rays revealed he had an incomplete fracture of his cannon bone.

“Mick asked if I still wanted him even if he could never be ridden again,” Brittanny said. “Of course I did and Mick and the owners paid for his treatment. They loved the horse too and wanted to do the right thing by him.”

After three months of box rest at Mick’s place, Brittanny was finally able to take Cherokee Warrior home. She lives in a one bedroom apartment so she has him agisted at Wallaroo with a group of other retired racehorses. Ironically Brittanny had an accident of her own and ruptured her ACL so she won’t be able to ride for at least another six months.

“I’m even more lame than he is,” Brittanny said with a laugh. “It will give him plenty of time to recover. When I can ride again we are just are going to do trails and have fun. I’m not interested in competing anymore. For now, we are happy just hanging out together. He was my bestie when I was a bit low and now I want to reward him.”

One of Elissar Maalouf’s favourite childhood memories is going to races with her father, Elie. Randwick, Rosehill, Canterbury, Warwick Farm. She loved admiring the horses, especially those owned by her Dad.

“My favourite was Grandiser,” she said. “He won four races from seven starts and even raced against the great Lonhro.”

By the time Elissar was 11 watching the horses wasn’t enough. She wanted to ride them. Her parents enrolled her in riding lessons and a year later she was confident enough to take on a horse of her own. Elissar’s then coach picked out a reliable Canny Lad gelding who was older than her. He never made the racetrack due to an oesophageal injury but had excelled in showjumping ever since.

“He came to me trained up and trained me up,” Elissar said with a laugh. “He was the most wonderful horse, never put a foot wrong. I learned so much from him.”

After a few years Elissar was ready for the challenge of a second horse she could train herself. She knew she wanted another thoroughbred and found the perfect match in a former Tara and Philippe Vigouroux gelding by the name of Still The Man.

“The day I first went to see him it was clear he was very green,” Elissar said. “He was a bit clumsy and unbalanced but came with the basics including trot, canter, left and right. He was so sweet and I wanted a horse I could take further so I adopted him.”

Elissar began retraining Still The Man straight away on an agistment property about half an hour from her home in Parramatta. She renamed him “Fresco” and spent all her spare time with him, teaching him to forget about being a racehorse and learn to be round and on the bit. In November 2016 Elissar and Fresco lined up for their first competition together – 80cm and 90cm events at Sydney Showjumping Club.

“He knocked over a few rails and had a tendency to drift but tried his hardest,” Elissar said. “Our second competition was better and you could see he was learning. He was a lot straighter. He’s just so eager to please.”

Since then the pair has participated in showjumping events at Hawkesbury, Tamworth, Camden and Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsely Park. Just last week they entered their first competition for 2019, going clear in the 90cm and knocking just two poles down in 110cm.

“That was due to rider error,” Elissar said modestly. “We’ll go clear next time. My aim is to step him up to 120cm this year and take him to more national shows.”

Elissar also has a goal of taking in one of hers or her father’s racehorses in retirement. Elissar currently has a small share in Salina Dreaming, an unraced two-year-old filly while her father part owns Through The Cracks. Both are trained at Gosford by Angela Davies.

“Retraining one of our ex-racehorses and competing on it would be the ultimate full circle experience,” she said. “I’ve only ever sat on thoroughbreds and never felt the need for a chunky warmblood when I have such athletic and willing thoroughbreds to work with.”