Dressage rider Louise Robson lights up school day during National Racehorse week

It was not a normal school lunchtime on Monday for the pupils of Denbigh School in Milton Keynes, as they were joined by ex-racehorse Forth Bridge.

The school had organised with Great British Racing a special visit from Louise Robson of Thoroughbred Dressage to bring her former racehorse for a visit. Forth Bridge (now known as William) is being retrained in dressage; the 11-year-old gelding is owned by HRH The King and bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II. He previously raced on the Flat for Micheal Bell and then over jumps for Charlie Longsdon, winning just under £95k in prize money.

This is the second year that Louise has been involved with National Racehorse week and she kindly took some time to share her thoughts about this community racehorse initiative.

Why did you get involved?

I am a re-trainer of racehorses, so I love National Racehorse week. I learnt about it a few years ago and I just wanted to be involved. This week is all about the racehorse, their whole life.

These wonderful educational events reach out to everyone that is either involved in racehorses or those wanting to create better awareness. I get a whole week to tell everyone how fabulous these horses are, and to see everyone meeting the horses and falling in love with them – that is all I want.

As we unloaded the horsebox, the gathered group of teachers caught their first sight of the imposing big bay gelding Forth Bridge. It was clear to see they were thinking that the school sports field could potentially be a massively overwhelming experience for a horse! 

Everyone was excited and in awe to see him on site, and within minutes of his arrival all were at ease, as he was happily eating grass and looking like he had been there for hours.

How do people respond to meeting a horse for the first time?

For those working with horses every day, it is easy to forget the impact these wonderful creatures have on people of all ages. The first group to meet him were from Year 7 and this was only their fourth day in secondary school.  There was a mix of excitement and fear as they stood and looked at Forth Bridge for the first time, with a few saying that this was the first time they had met a horse. It didn’t take long before their natural curiosity kicked in and for them to start asking questions about his name and whether they could touch and feed this gentle giant.

Describe your career and how it has given you a deep connection with the thoroughbred

I got involved with ex-racehorses ultimately because they were readily available and at the time they were cheap, and my parents could not afford to buy me a horse.

So, I started off with one horse on loan, and then from there I wanted to do more riding and particularly dressage, but everyone told me they were not built for the job. It was all about training and building a relationship to get the best out of with these former racehorses.

Over the years I have just fallen in love with them! They have brought me many career highlights including meeting HRH Queen Elizabeth II, which was completely inspiring and humbling and winning the Retraining of Racehorses (ROR) Horse of Year in 2020 with Quadrille. It is, though, the small wins like just being able to get on some of them safely, and to see them relaxed and happy, and that is a huge career achievement with some horses. Being able to be part of National Racehorse Week itself with this horse is just fantastic.

Do you think this visit with help these young minds think about their Careers?

The horse is great with people, and he is very calm and chilled. He is a gentleman and lovely, and it is great the children get to meet a horse owned by HRH King Charles III.

He stopped racing as he simply just fell out of love with it. He was not injured, and his journey is poignant and resonates with people. We can all start going down paths in our lives where we stop enjoying things, so we diversify and try something different. It’s great to meet a horse like William and to see that there is always something more you can do in life, but being happy and healthy is what is important.

The day itself was staffed by the school’s careers team and it was fantastic to hear so many of the students and teachers ask about how they could learn more about horses and racing. 

There are so many opportunities for young people in the racing industry. Careers in Racing, The British Racing School, National Horseracing College, ROR, social media it is all out there, they just need to be inspired to go and look for it.

All the fantastic activities this week offer a great opportunity to give the next generation a positive and memorable experience that can create a spark to ignite an interest in horseracing.