The return of the ARC Malton Open Day and the Epsom Open Day yesterday, Sunday 12th September, saw the inaugural National Racehorse Week start with a bang. Following a year of virtual events due to the pandemic, racing fans and families alike were clearly delighted to be back at in-person events.
The ever-popular Malton Open Day saw a crowd of over 1500 people enjoying some fabulous sunshine and a great buzz as they toured the yards of some of the region’s best trainers. There were plenty of equine superstars on show including John Quinn’s Royal Ascot winner Highfield Princess, Richard Fahey’s Royal Ascot winner Perfect Power and Julie Camacho’s fan favourite, Judicial.
Other highlights of a fantastic day included John Fairley and John Quinn giving a fascinating talk about the history of Highfield Farm and the Advance Grass Solutions Whinny and Woof competition which saw pony club riders paired with a jockey and their dog to take on a fun jumping challenge. After some very competitive rounds, the pairing of Tilly Mason, riding Poppet, and Oakley Brown, with dog Jag, were crowned the winners.
It was a great day, everyone was in high spirits, lots of happy children and happy horses. The sun also shone on the magnificent Epsom straight – home to the greatest Flat race in the world.
We would like to say a huge thank you to ARC for their generous support of the Malton Open Day and to all the sponsors and volunteers who made both open days so special – without their support, it would not be possible to hold these events which are not only fantastic showcases of our sport and it’s workforce but are also such important fundraisers for Racing Welfare. It’s great to be back and we look forward to seeing you all again in 2022!