01/09/2026
🌟 Partnership of the Month: Anna W & Top Line Tommy 🌟
We’re thrilled to announce our Partnership of the Month—congratulations to Anna and their wonderful former racehorse, Tom ! 🏇🐴
Top Line Tommy or Tom as he’s known to his friends, spelt ’T love heart M’ is the most kind, curious, intelligent and funny horse! I am truly privileged to have T❤️M trust me, to be able watch him develop and transition, to have him follow me around his field, and to have him whinny when he sees me or hears my voice!
T❤️M and I began our journey together back in November 2025 following his retirement as an Irish National Hunt horse in July 2025, and thereafter, a period of munching on the green stuff.
T❤️M and I have benefitted from a slow transition of getting to know one another, but we haven’t let the grass grow under our hooves, oh no! We attended pole clinics (initially in-hand), did lots of long-reining, water treadmill work (thank you to Victoria and Grace at Rookery Equine Ltd for their assistance in turning T❤️M into a waterbaby) and walked for miles up and down hills, all to aid building muscle and development before I introduced a saddle at the end of January 2025. Kim Manteklow (equine physio extraordinaire) has worked wonders to aid T❤️M’s physical transition and is an integral of Team T❤️M, as is Nick Aldridge for his skill and expertise in fitting T❤️M’s saddle.
Thereafter, we have progressed to riding clinics with the legendary 5* event rider Bruce Heskell, pole and more latterly, flat sessions with Lucie Bernarova (whose brilliance as an instructor and horsewoman knows no bounds!), attended local dressage competitions, introduced T❤️M to sheep (which he still hates!), tannoys, and more latterly, star quarter markers and glitter!
We then attended the RoR Spring Camp in March 2026, whereupon arrival I channelled our inner Kipper and Penelope by having our kind friends hold onto us via a leadrope due to T❤️M being more lit than a Christmas tree on National Decorate Your Christmas Tree With As Many Lights As Possible Day! Sam Hobbs if only your patience and enthusiasm as an instructor could be bottled! Soon after, Robyn Wetherall intervened, snipped the umbilical cord, and had the two of us parading around showing off T❤️M’s raw and natural abilities as a ridden horse within the space of the second lesson of the day!
Following a period of enforced downtime for T❤️M between April and the beginning of June 2026, we got going again. We increased our repertoire of flat work to introduce a greater understanding of the half-halt, collection and lateral work. The summer saw us attend yet more clinics, local dressage competitions, and about three weeks ago, we began our jumping partnership under the tutelage of David Llwellyn (who needs no introduction to these RoR webpages!), and culminated in us attend the RoR Championships 2026 in August.
At the Champs we turned our hand to showing – yes, for those who know me, you read right! – where we scooped first place in the In-hand Longevity Class (horses having race more than 30 times) and saw us ride clear in our very first course of show jumps to bag a yellow frilly! We also spent the most magical of days surrounded by the loveliest of fellow RoRers and friends as we both transformed from feral to glamourous to scoop the most prestigious title of Gemma Potts Glamour Stakes Champion of 2026!
So why buy a racehorse and why join RoR? Racehorses, like people, come in many different forms. Some know what it is to be loved and fed polos, other’s demand routine and crave consistency, some carry injuries, while some are chilled and just want an easy, laidback life. But what they all deserve is the opportunity to be given the time and care they each need in order to thrive and be happy. That’s where RoR comes in. RoR provides a source of information, training opportunities and inspiration to owners to aid ex-racers transition into their second careers. From rider and horse combinations achieving simple personal goals or hitting the dizzy heights of being named as RoR champions; RoR welcomes all! The RoR community is best club a horsey guy or gal could wish to join…if you are lucky enough to have an ex-racer and are partial to having a bit of fun! T❤️M and I have found life-long friends who raise a glass and celebrate with us to mark our highs, and provide unconditional support and friendship when it gets tough. Guidance, support and camaraderie is always on tap, and in an abundance, and I say this with particular thanks to Sophie Spiteri and Robyn Wetherall!
So what’s next for T❤️M and I? Well, RoR camp in October of course! Hope to see you there!
Anna is a shining example of how ongoing learning can benefit both horse and rider.
Thank you, Anna for your commitment to improving the life of your former racehorse and being a fantastic ambassador for the programme. We’re looking forward to seeing you at plenty more educational events in the future!
