An amateur rider and farrier has been crowned winner of the SEIB Insurance Brokers Racehorse to Riding Horse championship at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).
Loti Innes-Parry and As I See It were up against 13 other combinations, including professional producers, in the final judged by Lucinda Sims and Robert Walker.
“It’s amazing to have won this, he went brilliantly today and it’s great to see that everything we’ve been doing at home has paid off,” Loti said. “We qualified for this championship last year but were unplaced.”
Before getting the ex-racehorse four years ago, Loti had never competed in showing.
“As I See It came from a Sally Taylor’s rehabilitation yard, I was looking for a horse but hadn’t thought about showing,” she said. “I went for a lesson with show producer, Jo Bates, and she said she was sure he had something there for the show ring, so we went for it and every year he has got better and better.
“He’s now lived at Jo’s yard for the last year and she has helped us so much.”
During his days on the racecourse, As I See It was in training with Harry Fry and he won over fences as well as hurdles several times.
“We’ve had some great successes in this class, As I See It is by the same sire, Kings Theatre, as the 2021 winner from our yard, Katie Dashwood’s Minella Rebellion,” added Jo Bates.
Diane Wilson’s grey, Scots Gold took the runner up spot, ridden by Jackie Wilson, and third place went to Festive Fare, ridden by Rebecca Court and owned by Diana Taylor.
SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse organiser, Nicolina Mackenzie of the Absolutely Genuine Company, explained the inspiration behind the series.
“We set it up nearly two decades ago to help give these beautiful Thoroughbred ex-racehorses the chance at a second career,” she said. “We could never have believed at the time how successful and popular the class would become.”
Lead image: Loti Innes-Parry and As I See It receive the SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse Championship prize from Nicolina MacKenzie. Credit: 1st Class Images
