It has been more than four years in the making, but a new novice-level eventing class for ex-racehorses — boasting the biggest British prize pot at novice level — is to run at Cornbury House Horse Trials this year (10-14 September).

The Racehorse to Eventer Challenge Cup has been introduced for 2025 to encourage and promote second careers in eventing for retired racehorses and those Thoroughbreds that never made it to the track.

The class is the brainchild of Jayne McGivern, who stands Golden Horn at Dash Grange Stud.

She said: “I have been trying to launch this class for more than four years, so words cannot describe how thankful and delighted I am that Cornbury House Horse Trials is as invested in creating value for ex-racehorses as I am.

“Thoroughbreds are especially suited to high-level eventing, being fast, athletic, intelligent and brave.

“I can’t wait for the best riders in the UK to showcase the skills of these fantastic horses to the world.”

The winner of the Racehorse to Eventer Challenge Cup will be awarded a George III silver perpetual trophy and £45,000.

Each year the successful owner will receive the silver-plated horseshoe of a Derby winner — the first of which, for 2025, will be that of stallion Golden Horn, who took the world’s premier Classic race in 2015.

Fewer TBs at the top level

Around 7,000 horses leave racing each year according to the most recent Thoroughbred Census in 2023.

It showed that whilst the majority of them move into hacking lives, 8% — around 560 horses — will carry on to a second career in eventing.

Recent FEI research showed that whilst Thoroughbreds do not always achieve the same accuracy in dressage and showjumping, they out-perform all other breeds in the cross-country phase of eventing competitions.

However, the overall number of Thoroughbreds in top-class eventing is falling. (See the full research here)

A new way of life

Taking part in the inaugural 2025 Racehorse to Eventer Challenge Cup will be Bhodi, a former Flat racehorse who was owned by Jayne and first trained in eventing with Team GB rider Piggy March.

Piggy took on Bhodi when he was four and retrained him for eventing.

The pair won a novice class at Cornbury House Horse Trials in 2022.

Piggy said: “I had Bhodi straight out of training, and he took to eventing and to a new way of life like a duck to water.

“He is very intelligent; a clever horse who had seen the world before and was always a pleasure to work with. 

“I’ve had two racehorses for Jayne, who has been a great supporter of mine over the years, and both have been very successful as eventers.

“One is Bhodi, and the other is Our Old Fella, known as ‘Polo’, who went up to CCI3* level with me.”

‘Achievable for a lot of people’

Piggy continued: “The Racehorse to Eventer Challenge Cup is being held at novice level, which is achievable for a lot of people, and it is so exciting to have the chance to aim at an incredible prize like this.

“It will be great to see more people appreciate the aptitude that Thoroughbreds naturally have for eventing and make this class a real target. 

“More and more people in racing are determined that their horses should have happy lives after their racing careers, whether that is in other equestrian sports, as pets or in retirement.

“Thoroughbreds love to run, they love to jump, they love to be busy and to have jobs, and eventing can be the perfect second career for them.”

Bhodi is now owned by Emily Oppenheimer and will compete at Cornbury with his current rider Mike Jackson.

Cornbury House Horse Trials takes place from 10-14 September on the Cornbury Estate near Charlbury, Oxfordshire. Find out more here.

Main image of Mike Jackson & Bhodi with Emily Oppenheimer, Piggy March and David and Fiona Howden by Boot Creative