Proud of Garry

At Te Akau Racing, it is very important to us that we find good and caring homes for our retired  racehorses - here is the latest update on retired flat and then jumps' horse Sunset Pass.  Bought by David at the South Island Sale, "Garry" as we knew him, has really found the limelight in his retirement ... 

The last day of Equidays 2016 saw the culmination of two great events, with prizes being awarded after horses and riders had participated in three days of competition. The Kaimanawa Heritage Horses Stallion Challenge and the Beyond the Barriers Dunstan Ex-Factor classes attracted a lot of attention in both the lead-up to and during Equidays.

Beyond the Barriers Dunstan Ex-Factor competition is for retired thoroughbred racehorses, and competitors chose three of six different types of competition to show off their horse's skills. DSE Sunset Pass came out the winner, ridden and trained by Te Kauwhata event rider Donna Edwards-Smith. The eight-year-old bay gelding, by Yamanin Vital out of Janet's Chance, had 25 racing starts with some considerable success, including in hurdles and steeplechases. He has taken to his life as a sporthorse very well and Donna thinks he has the potential to be a four-star eventer. “He is one of nicest, most talented horses I have ever ridden, with a very good brain.”

 

http://horseandponymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/IMG_4498-300x200.jpeg 300w, http://horseandponymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/IMG_4498-630x420.jpeg 630w" alt="Donna Edwards-Smith & DSE Sunset Pass, winners of the Dunstan Ex-Factor" width="640" height="427" />

 

DSE Sunset Pass was second in his dressage class, third in the Derby and won the fault-and-out class, jumping 1.50m. Amanda Pottinger was second on Perry, with Laura Knight on Wotabuzz, who had won the Grand National Hurdles in his racing career, in third place.

Donna is planning to take ‘Gazza' to the National One-day Event Championships to compete in the pre-Novice class in a couple of weeks, and soon step him up to one-star. “Tom McClunie and I own him. He will keep his [racing] name, why would you change it? It has already brought him luck!

Ex-jumps jockey, Tommy Hazlett, was on hand to see one of his favourite horses do so well. “Te Akau used to train him, and I used to look after him. It is a pleasure to see horses having a great life after racing, and I am so pleased he is with Donna. He is the type of horse that should go right to the top.”

David Smith, from sponsor Dunstan Horse Feeds, presented the prizes. “It is such a good event but more importantly it is so well organised by Gina [Rothery] and Nicky [Wallace] from Beyond the Barriers. They put so much work into it. I am only too happy be able to support them.”

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