Jenny Bulman and her 15-year old Thoroughbred Jimmy Hay have been crowned 2016 RoR Elite Dressage Champions at the 2016 Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) Awards which took place on a glittering and at times emotional night on Wednesday 7 December 2016.
The award for RoR Elite Dressage Champion, in association with British Dressage, went to 15-year-old former racehorse Jimmy Hay who has been re-trained by Jenny Bulman, an on-course bookmaker’s clerk in the West Country.
Held at The Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket and hosted by RoR Patron Clare Balding OBE and racing broadcaster and producer Luke Harvey (pictured with Jenny), eleven awards were given on the night. The awards celebrate the versatility and adaptability of former racehorses with trophies and total prize money of £17,500 going to the year’s elite champions in dressage, endurance, eventing, polo, showing and show jumping. Retraining of Racehorses is British Horseracing’s official charity for the welfare of horses who have retired from racing
Jimmy Hay ran four times on the flat as a three-year-old and was trained by Jimmy Fox until his retirement in 2005. Despite Jimmy being blind in one eye and a tiny horse at just 15.1hh, Jenny’s patience with him has been rewarded as the horse has developed and steadily improved since she took him on six years ago. Jenny says that Jimmy is now “a perfect chap!"
She attributes much of their success to the harmony between them and says “this is what many judges remark on in our tests”. Jenny who has worked in racing for nearly 30 years said; “My husband Robert is my other star! Driving us to compete across the country and giving us so much support and encouragement.”
Jenny Bulman received a cash prize of £2,500 GBP for Jimmy Hay becoming 2016 RoR Elite Dressage Champion.
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