David Howden proud of Thoroughbred Aftercare Programme

Owner and breeder David Howden has extended his commitment to racing by providing significant investment into the newly-launched Thoroughbred Aftercare Programme.

Howden, CEO of his eponymous insurance group, enjoyed victory at Royal Ascot this summer as Running Lion won the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at a track where his company is also an official partner alongside Qipco and Longines.

Howden’s interest in equestrianism includes the sport of eventing, with his daughter Jemima a rising star in the discipline as a member of Great Britain’s young rider team this summer at the European championships in Strezgom, Poland.

Racing and eventing often overlap, and ex-racehorses are increasingly sought after to transition into other equestrian sports too among the large number of horses that leave the racing industry each year in search of a new vocation.

To support riders taking on ex-racehorses and in turn support the horses themselves, Howden has devised the Thoroughbred Aftercare Programme, an initiative providing a nationwide support network for riders and multiple opportunities for subsidised training.

The educational element of the programme will assist riders in guiding their horses through the transition from racing to their chosen new discipline, breaking down the common obstacles faced and thus aiming to challenge some of the assumptions made about ex-racehorses that can create a reluctance in other equestrian communities when it comes to taking them on.

In addition to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Programme, Howden has also collaborated with Jayne McGivern of Dash Grange Stud to develop a new class for ex-racehorses at Cornbury House Horse Trials worth £45,000 to the winner – a notable sum of money in a sport where prize funds are dwarfed by those offered in racing.

Howden said of the concept: “As someone who is passionate about horse racing, I see it as vital that I am supporting the sport in any way I can.

“By creating a nationwide, freely accessible support programme that also includes 2,000 subsidised training sessions a year, I hope we will see more horses leave racing safe in the knowledge that their pathway to becoming a riding horse will be as smooth and stress free as possible.”

Grand National-winning trainer Kim Bailey said: “I think it’s incredibly important. I think we all realise that the outside world is looking in.

“I know from my own experience, as the second most looked-at page on my website is the ‘Where Are They Now?’ page. It’s something we treasure and work very hard on, but we need support and this is going to be a huge bonus to us.”

Paul Nicholls, 14-times the champion British National Hunt trainer whose former stable heroes Kauto Star and Denman were both retrained, said: “This is a fantastic initiative, we need to get the message out there that for a racehorse, racing is only half their life.

“They’ve still got half of their lives to do something else and there are so many good things they can do.”

Deirdre Johnston, wife of record-breaking Flat trainer Mark, is the co-owner of JL Dublin, part of the gold medal winning British team under Tom McEwen at the Paris Olympics.

Her interest in both sports runs incredibly deep, therefore, and she said: “They are the most fantastic creatures, I’m still riding two-year-olds now aged 62!

“If we can get more people to take them on and realise how wonderful they are, then that’s what this is all about.”