Prix de l’Abbaye hero wins inaugural Retraining of Racehorse Community Award

On 31st January, the charity Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) hosted its annual RoR Awards ceremony at the historic Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket. The glittering evening brought together over 150 attendees from the racing and equestrian communities to honour the remarkable accomplishments of the racehorses’ new careers.

The Sir Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust RoR Community Impact Award, new to the awards roster this year, recognises individuals, partnerships, or organisations making noteworthy contributions to people’s lives through their involvement with former racehorses. The deserving winners, Yorkshire-based charity New Beginnings and Goldream, stood out among the nominations, showcasing their remarkable impact on the community.

Group 1-winning Goldream, known as Remy, retired from a lucrative Flat racing career in 2018, accumulating over £500,000 in prize money when trained by Robert Cowell. He won a thrilling the Prix de’ l’Abbaye in 2015. Now York Racecourse’s Equine Ambassador, Remy has shown a kind and intuitive nature, significantly impacting the lives of the elderly and young children locally.

Kevin and Pam Atkinson, co-founders of New Beginnings, expressed their pride in Remy’s positive impact, stating: “Remy stands as the epitome of a versatile racehorse, he seamlessly adapted to his new life after racing with a remarkable blend of grace and kindness, bringing joy and pleasure to all those he encounters.”

More details on New Beginnings and Goldream can be found here.

The evening’s other elite winners included Wonga Swinger and Tori Thomas, RoR Elite Showing Champions; Don Stefano and Megan Brown, RoR Elite Eventing Champions; Celtic Silver and Sara Cork, RoR Elite Hunting Champions; Badalona Breeze and Chris McKenzie, RoR Elite Polo Champions; Fair Duchess and Jane Phillips, RoR Elite Dressage Champions; and More Salutes and Amanda Hamley; RoR Elite Endurance Champions