Young racing writers recognized on awards night as 11-year-old experiences Frankel’s rare second-place finish

The new initiative is sponsored by the Wilmington Trust, with prizes handed out at the National Horseracing Museum. The initiative is led by trustee Josie Reed, sister of leading jumps trainer Nicky Henderson.

It is set to replace the Martin Wills Awards, discontinued in 2017 after 25 years. The scheme involves local schools, and the winners of the inaugural event were Corbett and Cornish from Linton Village College and Bottisham Village College, respectively.

Corbett won the 16 and over category with her entry “Shergar,” while 11-year-old Cornish took the under-16 category with “A Second Chance.” Honorary trustee Christopher Tregoning humorously remarked on the success of the entries.

The Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) is a charity aiming to provide retired racehorses with a second chance at life. Around 7,000 horses leave racing each year, and the charity supports their transition to new careers.

The Rothschild Yard at the Newmarket Racing Museum officially opened in 2016 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, has since retrained 80 horses and provides them with a comfortable routine and environment conducive to their physical and mental well-being. At the museum, the racehorses learn to adapt from their racing habits to more relaxed habits, living on an exercise routine and diet that differs from their racing days.

The volunteers emphasize the importance of retraining these horses for different careers, drawing parallels with human athletes adapting to new sports. Retrained racehorses can have varied careers such as dressage, polo, eventing, show jumping, and therapy work, enriching the lives of many.

The Newmarket Horse Racing Museum and the Retraining of Racehorses charity are instrumental in providing these retired racehorses with a meaningful second chance.