2014 RoR Elite Dressage Champion, in association with British Dressage, is retrained racehorse 15-year-old Austin Approved who is owned and ridden by Sandie Newton from Callington in Cornwall. Sandie was accompanied by her husband David at the inaugural RoR Awards ceremony at The Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket on Wednesday 26th November 2014. The couple were thrilled to receive 2014 RoR Elite Dressage Champion’s trophy and £2,500 prize, which were presented at the RoR Awards night by RoR Patron and broadcaster Clare Balding and her former TV partner Willie Carson.
Austin Approved or AA as he is affectionately known retired from racing in 2010. During his racing career with Devon based trainer, Richard Woollacot, he point to pointed for four seasons and had a total of 17 runs with a couple of wins and being placed. Owner Sandie Newton trained him for a short spell at the end of his career and she says; “He provided me with my first and only winner as a trainer!” AA then spent the first of his retirement only occasionally going out to accompany young horses at Sandie and David’s yard where the couple also bred flat and national hunt racehorses.
At the end of 2011, the Newton’s decided to bring him back into work to compete in the ROR Dressage series and in 2012, they joined BD and mainly concentrated on unaffiliated dressage competitions. It was a promising start as the pair won 2012 RoR Trailblazers Dressage Championship at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire. In 2013, AA finished in 4th placed in the RoR Elite Dressage Award and so says Sandie; “It really was our ambition to win it this year!”
The RoR Awards organised by Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), awarded prizes totalling £16,500 and presented trophies to each of the 2014 RoR Elite Series’ Champions, as well announcing a new award to name the first ever ‘RoR Horse of the Year’ sponsored by The Jockey Club. As well as the Elite winners, ‘RoR Horse of the Year’ was also revealed at the Awards. The full results of the 2014 RoR Elite Awards are as follows: -
• RoR Elite Endurance Champion: CORALKOV 8-y-o gelding Ridden & Owned by: Juliet Jacob, Norfolk.
• RoR Elite Eventing Champions: Joint Winner: ORTOLAN 9-y-o gelding Ridden by: Polly Stockton, Cheshire. Owned by: Stella and Allan Stennett.
Joint Winner: SQUADRON LEADER 11 y-o gelding Ridden by: Daniele Bizzaro, Gloucestershire. Owned by: Jane Arnold.
• RoR Elite Dressage Champion: AUSTIN APPROVED 15-y-o gelding Ridden & Owned by: Sandie Newton, Cornwall.
• RoR Elite HOYS Show Series Champion: FLAYGRAY 10-y-o gelding Ridden & Owned by: Faye Hesketh, Lancashire.
• RoR Elite Show Series Champion: JACK THE GIANT 12-y-o gelding Ridden by: Allister Hood from Norfolk. Owned by: The Jackpots Syndicate.
• RoR Elite Show Jumping Champion: CAPTAIN WILLOUGHBY 13-y-o gelding Ridden & Owned by: Joanne Fulcher, Kent
• RoR Elite Polo Champion: FILLE DE DAUPHIN (Marmite) 16-y-o mare Ridden & Owned by: Mark Tomlinson
• The Jockey Club/RoR Horse of the Year - Champion: WHATCANYSAY 13-y-o gelding. Ridden & Owned by: Robyn Gray, Cumbria.
RoR Chief Executive, Di Arbuthnot said; “The presentation of the Awards to the RoR Elite Champions and the addition of the new RoR Horse of the Year, provides a focus for the charity to celebrate the achievements of the thousands of former racehorses competing successfully in equestrian disciplines and shows both the adaptability and versatility of former racehorses retraining for life after racing in new careers.”