As Cornbury House Horse Trials (10-14 September) approaches its sixth anniversary, the Oxfordshire event provided further proof of its position in the front ranks of the British equestrian scene with the official launch last Friday (4 July) of the Racehorse to Eventer Challenge Cup.
This new class, with its £45,000 first prize – a reward unprecedented in the sport at British Eventing Novice level – is a joint initiative between the Howden family’s Cornbury House Horse Trials and Jayne McGivern of Dash Grange Stud. It is designed to encourage and promote second careers in eventing of racehorses who have come off the track and those thoroughbreds who didn’t make it to the racecourse.
The Racehorse to Eventer Challenge Cup will run alongside the British Eventing Young Horse National Championships, supported by The Howden Way, Cornbury House Horse Trials’ immensely popular under-21 classes at Young Rider, Junior and Pony level, open CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S sections and national intermediate classes.
Jayne McGivern, who stands the brilliant Derby winner Golden Horn at Dash Grange Stud, 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 Racehorse to Eventer Challenge Cup winner will be awarded a George III silver perpetual trophy, and each year the successful owner will receive the silver-plated horse shoe of a Derby winner – the first of which, for 2025, will be that of Golden Horn, who took the world’s premier Classic race in 2015.
The special guest at Cornbury House on Friday was Bhodi – a former Flat racehorse who is now being aimed at the inaugural 2025 Racehorse to Eventer Challenge Cup. Bhodi, a Niarchos-bred son of Dark Angel out of a Giant’s Causeway mare, was owned by Jayne McGivern and ran 10 times on the Flat when trained by Sir Michael Stoute and then Kevin Frost. Top British event rider Piggy March took Bhodi on when he was four and retrained him for eventing, and the pair won a Novice class at Cornbury House Horse Trials in 2022. He was then bought by current owner Emily Oppenheimer, who evented him successfully for fun before passing on the ride to Gloucestershire-based professional rider Mike Jackson, who has moved the sweet-natured 10-year-old up to Intermediate level this season.
Piggy, who was delighted to meet up with her former charge at Cornbury House last week, 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. Polo is a little bouncy ball of a fun, athletic chap who has now gone on to give [former Grand National and Gold Cup-winning jockey] Mick Fitzgerald’s son Oscar a real leg up in his career as an event rider. Oscar is the new junior national champion, and I’d like to think that Polo has given him a lot of fun and experience.”
She 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.
“The great thing about Jayne is that she is passionate about her racing, but she does everything for the love of horses and for the sport. The same is true of Cornbury House Horse Trials’ founder and president David Howden; they, and 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 careers for them.”
Mike Jackson added: “Bhodi is a joy to deal with and comes out every day with his ears pricked. Thoroughbreds are built for speed, which is obviously important for eventing, and they are very intelligent. For generations they have been bred to thrive in a variety of different circumstances and big atmospheres. The Thoroughbred Aftercare Programme (TAP), which David Howden launched last winter, and this amazing class at Cornbury are a great way of opening a door to second careers for racehorses and helping and supporting them towards and through that.”
As well as a feast of equestrian sport, featuring many of the world’s most famous riders alongside young up-and-coming talent, Cornbury Horse Horse Trials is unique in its offering with a focus on local, sustainable food and drink from its neighbouring farms playing a huge part, premium hospitality, and interactive children’s activities in the stunning setting of Cornbury Park.