A wonderfully diverse line-up of former racehorses now enjoying alternative careers has been assembled for the Racing Post RoR Parade at Aintree on Thursday, April 7, Grand Opening Day of the 2016 Crabbies Grand National Festival.
Led by two Aintree heroes, Grand National winner Comply Or Die and five-time course winner Monet’s Garden, the line-up includes a legend in Gold Cup winner Denman, as well as more recently retired jumping stars Peddlers Cross and Cinders And Ashes.
It is not only the horses with Aintree and Grand National pedigrees, as among the riders taking part in the Racing Post RoR Parade is Abbie McCain, granddaughter of Aintree legend, the late Ginger McCain. Abbie will be on board Cinders And Ashes who is co-owned by her father, trainer Donald McCain. Since being retired in 2015, Cinders And Ashes has been based with husband and wife team Bryan and Jackie Storey and is shortly due to start his second career doing showing and dressage
Also in the 10-horse Aintree parade will be the aptly named Liverpool, who was named RoR Horse of the Year for 2015. Liverpool, together with Danny John Boy, provide evidence of the invaluable role British racing’s equine charity, RoR, performs in facilitating opportunities for all former racehorses to have a second career. Since being retired from racing, both Liverpool and Danny John Boy have excelled in a range of RoR disciplines and were winners at the inaugural RoR National Championship Show at the Aintree Equestrian Centre in August, 2015.
Di Arbuthnot, Chief Executive of RoR, said: “It’s wonderful to have such diversity on show for our RoR parade at Aintree. We know the racing public love to see old warriors like Denman, Comply Or Die and Monet’s Garden, but I think they are also increasingly appreciative of what lesser known horses like Liverpool and Danny John Boy have achieved in carving out successful second careers in very different activities to racing.
“Aintree and the team are wonderful supporters of RoR. Not only do they do a great job staging the Racing Post RoR Parade at the Crabbie’s Grand National Festival, but they also host the RoR National Championship Show in August in the Equestrian Centre, an event which looks set to grow and grow.”
The parades were introduced in 2008 by Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) to showcase the adaptability of racehorses when re-trained for a second career.
They are now an established part of the major Jump racing festivals at Cheltenham and Aintree, with an additional parade planned for the first time in 2016 at Ayr during the Scottish Grand National meeting.
Di Arbuthnot added: “We would like to thank the Racing Post for their sponsorship of the parades in 2016. The £12,000 raised from the sale of their Christmas jumpers has generously been given to the charity and via the parades it will significantly help raise awareness of the work we do, which includes education of owners and care for vulnerable horses, as well as creating opportunities for former racehorses.”
The parade will take place before racing from 12.50pm to 1.10pm on Thursday, April 7.