It is very important to us here at Hambleton House that horses continue to have a happy life after their racing career is over. We believe that breeders, owners and trainers all have a responsibility to ensure the safe and secure future of every horse that has been raised and trained to be a racehorse.
Horses are sometimes forced to retire from racing at an early age, so still have a full life ahead of them and many go on to be very successful athletes in another discipline. Some are retired through injury and others are simply ready to slow down from the rigours of training but still have many years of life ahead of them as a riding horse or companion. Others may just be ‘too slow’ and are more suited to an alternative career but the variety of disciplines in which ex-racehorses are now competing shows how versatile and re-trainable they are. Bryan's wife Vicky is the former North East Regional Co-ordinator for ROR and was also the Chef d ’equipe for the ROR Musical Ride display team for many years. She has successfully retrained a number of horses that were once in training at Hambleton House and has competed and won at the highest level including at Great Yorkshire Show, Hickstead and Horse of the Year Show.
We have created a gallery of some of our former racehorses below who are excelling in wide range of careers.
Keep up to date with our ex-racehorses on Facebook at @bryansmartexracehorses
Bought as a breeze up horse, he raced 11 times winning once and being placed five times. He went on to have a very successful showing career with Vicky, winning the ROR Tattersalls Retrained Racehorse Championship at Hickstead in 2010, the ROR championship at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2010 and 2011 and he was Reserve Champion at the Horse of the Year Show in 2013. He then went on to have a very successful career as a dressage horse competing up to Elementary level and being placed in the Novice section at the ROR Dressage Championships in 2014.
Chivola is still stabled at Hambleton House and is very happy being a companion to some of the younger horses.
Yorkshire born and bred Roger was a joker who never took anything seriously.
He ran a few times and would have been placed but decided to take a wrong turn so he was retired from racing at the age of three and quickly found success as an eventer and as a show horse. Roger’s Revenge won the ROR Championship at The Great Yorkshire Show in 2012 and later that year he was Champion Racehorse to Riding Horse at the Horse of the Year Show ridden by Vicky. He went on to have many wins as a lightweight hunter before being sold to take up a new path as a dressage horse. Roger was the inaugural lead horse for the ROR Musical Ride in 2014 and is now enjoying life with his new owner in East Yorkshire.
Midnight Robbery was owned by one of our very own syndicates and few times as a 2yo and 3yo but didn't really take to it and was never placed higher than 4th. Since his retirement from racing he has been making new ground in his new career as one of the first racehorses to be retrained as a Western horse. He has had much success in this new sphere including demonstrating his new skills at the ROR showcase with owner Emma Lonnie.
Mythmaker retired from racing in 2021 after an illustrious career totalling 8 wins and over £160,000 in prize money. He is now enjoying another successful career in the dressage arena with new owner Emma Lebutt.
Straightothepoint, another yard stalwart, has also found a new home with Emma. Both of these horses were owned and bred by Crossfield's Racing so it is lovely that they are enjoying their retirement together. 'Pointy' has also enjoyed success in the dressage arena including qualifying for British Dressage finals.
